A photographer has spoken exclusively about the moment he came face to face with one of the world’s best-loved authors – Roald Dahl.

John Stewart Farrier, who has captured many illustrious faces on film including Margaret Thatcher, Sir Cliff Richard and John Lennon, has released some previously unseen images of [Roald Dahl].

from Kent Online’s report:

Mr Farrier describes the moment they met: “It was raining heavily on the day I arrived at Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire – the home of Roald Dahl – author, fighter pilot and screenwriter.

“I was looking forward to this photographic session, especially when my daughter Sarah was one of his greatest fans.

“I tapped on the front door – it suddenly opened and there was Roald greeting me saying ‘I don’t like people with beards, they have something to hide’.”

He says that there was tension as he entered Roald’s hallway and he thought it would be a quick, abrupt session with little conversation, but it wasn’t long before the ball started rolling and the chat started flowing.

Mr Farrier said: “Roald said ‘thank god we are not talking about my books and I certainly don’t want to be photographed in my garden hut. Everyone does that’.

“I said it suited me fine and told him to just lounge around on the sofa. He said he was going to have a cigarette while we chatted. I asked him ‘have you always been such a grumpy old man?’ as I hid behind my Nikon camera waiting for an immediate reply asking me to leave… but it never happened.

“We both began to laugh and thereafter it was just magic – the ice had broken.”

Two further photos of Dahl via Roald Dahl photographer John Stewart Farrier describes day he spent with the great children's author.