Henrietta Knight tells Andrew Ffrench about her new book

Henrietta Knight is to share her memories of 20 years of marriage to former champion jockey and fellow racehorse trainer Terry Biddlecombe.

She will speak about her new book, Not Enough Time, at this year’s Wantage (Not Just) Betjeman Literary Festival.

The week-long event, which runs from Saturday, October 24, to Sunday, November 1, also features The Life and Loves of a She Devil author Fay Weldon, and former Beirut hostage Terry Waite, among other authors, poets and comedians.

Ms Knight’s poignant new book about her life with Mr Biddlecombe is sure to attract horse racing fans to The Beacon, Wantage, on Tuesday, October 27.

Together, the West Lockinge couple trained Best Mate, winner of three consecutive Cheltenham Gold Cups.

After Mr Biddlecombe’s health deteriorated, Ms Knight retired from training in 2012 to care for him.

He died aged 72 in January 2014 after a long illness.

Former teacher Ms Knight described her two decades with the former National Hunt Champion Jockey – known in his heyday as the Blond Bomber – as “the happiest of my life”.

She added: “We adored each other – together we shared triumphs as well as tragedies.

“Despite a somewhat unconventional and wild lifestyle during his days as a champion jockey in the 1960s and 1970s, he never forgot his public and had a great number of admirers.

“I wrote my book because I wanted my memories of Terry to be recorded. Due to loving him so much, I felt a description of his amazing life should be outlined.

“It was my gift to him and a token of my thanks to him for sharing 20 wonderful years with me.

“Terry was unique and my world is empty without him – he is always in my thoughts.”

This year’s festival also features former Childrey resident and Wantage school pupil Eleanor Stewart, who will return home on October 31 to describe what made her leave holy orders as a nun to become a mother-of-two.

And sports journalist Martin Johnson will talk about his life as a reporter on October 26.

Former poet laureate Sir John Betjeman was once a resident of Wantage, and the town’s parish church will host an evening of his poems set to classical music.

Jonathan Beckman, whose book How to Ruin a Queen won the prestigious Somerset Maugham Award, will give a talk on Marie Antoinette, while Agatha Christie fan Kathryn Harkup investigates the science behind the poisons the crime writer used to kill off her characters.

Children’s author Ros Asquith will read poetry, while author Matt Brown will give a talk about the adventure series Compton Valance.

Programme organiser Dorothy Burrows said: “This year we have something for everyone, from famous and first-time authors to comedy, and sessions that involve food, tea and even perfume.”

For more information, visit wantagebetjeman.com