The author is a 74-year-old retired general medical practitioner, originally from Hull; but he has lived in Cheltenham for the last 49 years, working at a local surgery for 34 of them. He has been researching the Harrod family history for a long time. His interest was partially prompted by the fact that his father was an orphan who grew up in difficult circumstances, and he knew nothing of his family until he began his research after his parents’ death over 30 years ago. Having collected an enormous amount of information about the family, and the family grocery, Harrods, he decided he wanted to write down the story to share with others. His first published book was a story of the early years of the Harrods store, entitled The Jewel of Knightsbridge. This covered the time when the Harrod family was in charge. He has always wanted to publish the story of his paternal grandmother and here it is. In the meantime, he is researching for a book about Harrods after the Harrod family. When he is not sitting in front of a computer, he plays a lot of tennis, he is a dedicated follower of Gloucester Rugby and spends time with his wife in their second home in the south of France – sometimes in front of a computer. The trips to France involve a detailed examination of the local food and wine.