Roald Dahl: Great Missenden celebrates author

Roald Dahl moved to Great Missenden in 1954 and lived there until his death in 1990

The life of Roald Dahl has been celebrated with a "big hurrah" in the village where he wrote many of his best-loved books.

The author lived in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, for 36 years and penned titles including The BFG and Matilda from a hut in his garden.

The Reverend Canon Rosie Harper led a service celebrating his life.

"The work of Roald Dahl brought life and energy to the village," she said. "It's going to be a very positive day."

Celebrations are taking place around the world to mark 100 years since Dahl was born.

The author moved to Great Missenden in 1954 with his first wife, Patricia Neal, and lived there until his death in 1990.

The author wrote children's classics including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Twits

Roald Dahl had a strict daily routine and would spend hours writing in his garden hut

He was buried in Great Missenden

Stories including Fantastic Mr Fox and Danny the Champion of the World drew inspiration from local landmarks or characters.

The writing hut in which he would spend hours each day has been preserved and is now part of a museum which opened in the village in 2005.

Canon Harper said Dahl, who is buried in the village, "changed the dynamic" of what would otherwise would have been a "sleepy village filled with people who commute to London".

"When you come to Great Missenden, you see it's full of children," she said.

Events were also being held at the Roald Dahl Museum in Great Missenden

The museum opened in 2005 and includes a tribute to the BFG

Dahl moved to Great Missenden with his Oscar-winning wife Patricia Neal

Young Dahl fans from local schools took part in the service at the St Peter and St Paul Church.

"The service is going to be in three parts, with the first a thank you from the children," Canon Harper said ahead of the service. "The second will be a thank you from the adults, looking at his biography and more than just the funny things in his life.

"The final thank you will be from the community, as people don't have the vaguest idea what a huge difference Roald Dahl had on the village."

Graham Laurie spoke about Dahl's time in the Air Force

Two giant footsteps greeted people attending the service

Canon Harper said the service was a "celebration", with party poppers at the end and "three cheers to Roald Dahl".

She said Dahl was not known to be a regular visitor to the church, with his early commitment to religion ending when his experience as a pilot in the war "put him off".

"As a personality he was quite a miserable guy, but the effect he had was quite profound," she said.