A Liphook care home resident has published two books. 

Doreen Binks at Bramshott Grange recently published Letters from Venezuela 1967-1969.

The book is compiled from the letters Doreen sent to her mother during her time living in the country’s capital, Caracas.

It’s a follow up to her book Letters from Jamaica 1961-1965 which was published in 2016 and also features letters Doreen sent to her mum.

Doreen recently read out excerpts from the book to fellow residents at her home in Bramshott Grange care home, where she has lived since 2022.

Doreen's husband Ken was an electrical engineer and thanks to demand for engineers overseas, the pair were able to live abroad with their two children, Jane and Richard.

Doreen put her first book together in Petersfield, a history of Petersfield in World War One.

Then, she had the idea to turn the letters she had sent her mother during her foreign travels into a book.

Doreen says: “When I came back from Jamaica my mother presented me with all my letters in a box. I had no idea she kept them. 

“I was involved with oral history museum in Petersfield and a lady helped me to put the letters together in a chronological order and this became my next book.

“I did the same with the letters I sent from Venezuela and this book was published in November 2023.

“You have to remember that letters were really the only form of communication back then, particularly in the two countries we lived in where the phone lines were poor, so it’s nice to have been able to preserve some of our family history in this way.”

Doreen now runs a book club at Bramshott Grange.

Pam Norfolk, home director at Bramshott Grange, said: “Doreen’s book club is very popular with our ladies and gentlemen and we all very proud of what she has achieved by publishing yet another book. She is a true inspiration!”