AN author has described how women from Cheshire inspired her bestselling book and sparked a hit ITV drama.

Julie Summers, who grew up in Cuddington, spoke to visitors at the Cheshire Show about her book 'Jambusters' and its transformation into the Sunday evening drama 'Home Fires'.

A historian and author of 11 books spent the two-day show in the Women's Institute marquee discussing her work.

"'Jambusters' is the story of the WI in the Second World War," she said.

"Although it's history and a story about what they did, it's really about ordinary women in extraordinary circumstances and how they just cope.

"They were asked the earth by the Government and just braced their shoulders, smiled and got on with it."

Julie, who grew up at Delamere Manor, in Cuddington, and whose parents live in Winsford, was keen to encourage ITV to make the most of her home county in its production.

"When ITV came to make 'Home Fires' they said 'how would you set the drama?'," she said.

"I said two things, 'I would set it away from the Blitz and in a big county – how about Cheshire?' because we have got airfields, prisoners of war, American airmen, everything's here.

"When they said they would film it in Bunbury I was really excited."

She was also astonished by the difference between working on a book and being involved in a TV series.

"When I wrote the book there were five people involved," she said.

"But when you make a drama it's 500."

Home Fires was shown on ITV earlier this summer and drew in 6.2 million viewers each week.

It has been commissioned for a second series and filming is expected to start this summer.