The life of one of Suffolk's best-known 20th century authors is being remembered with a new book and Blue Plaque in the village he lived in for many years.

George Ewart Evans was born in South Wales in 1909 but made his home in Suffolk after the war when his wife got a teaching job at Blaxhall.

East Anglian Daily Times: George Ewart Evans wrote about local history from across Suffolk for more than three decades.George Ewart Evans wrote about local history from across Suffolk for more than three decades. (Image: Newsquest)

He had met her while teaching in Cambridgeshire but after the war he became a full-time writer.

He made his name with the book "Ask the fellows who cut the hay" in 1956 which captured the rapidly-changing post-war agricultural life.

Over the next three decades he produced a series of books detailing life in the county as it changed during the century - he was still writing until shortly before he died in the late 1980s.

Now Leiston author Robert Ashton has used Evans' work to inspire his own local history book: "Where are the fellows who cut the hay?"

Mr Ashton was a pupil at Needham Market Primary School when Mrs Evans was headmistress there - and has had a life-long fascination with the original books.

His book was officially launched at Blaxhall on Sunday where a new plaque was unveiled on the village hall - it was while Mr Evans was living in the village that he found the inspiration for his first book.

There had been a Blue Plaque in the village before - that had been on the schoolmaster's house when the couple had lived but that is now due to be redeveloped so the new plaque is on the village hall.

East Anglian Daily Times: Rev Robert Leverett with Robert Ashton at Blaxhall Village Hall.Rev Robert Leverett with Robert Ashton at Blaxhall Village Hall. (Image: Robert Ashton)

About 80 people crowded into the small village hall to hear Mr Ashton discussing his book with local rector Rev Robert Leverett.

Mr Ashton said: "It was very good event - there is still a great deal of interest in his work - and in the subjects he was talking about."