A best-selling author from Australia has swapped homes with a retired couple from Plumley.

Anna Jacobs is now living in the country, knowing that Val and Dave Thornton are safely ensconced in her house in Mandurah, near Perth.

"We have been spending the days watching pelicans and dolphins swim past in the sea inlet at the bottom of the garden," said Val in an email to the Knutsford Guardian.

Anna, meanwhile, has been drawing inspiration from the Cheshire countryside for her next novel.

"I couldn't ask for a better setting in which to write my books," said Anna, who has written more than 30 novels since she left the UK 30 years ago.

It is the ninth house in the UK that Anna and her husband David have stayed in since 1996.

They try to travel to the UK every 18 months so Anna can promote her books and they can visit family. But they prefer to lodge in another house instead of booking into hotels. They found the Thorntons' home by combing a catalogue that specialises in couples who want to swap homes.

"We were looking through the catalogue and this just seemed like the perfect place to stay," she said.

The house in Plumley will be their home until the end of April.

During their stay, the former French teacher, who has two children, will tour the North West promoting her work and visiting family in the Rochdale area.

On Monday the Thorntons, though, were basking in the sunshine. "If you can possibly persuade them that Knutsford needs another celebrity as a resident we would have no objection to a permanent exchange of houses," said Val.

For Anna and David's three-bedroomed, air-conditioned home, which overlooks a marina, has three bathrooms, two offices, a billiard room and an indoor heated swimming pool.

Next week Anna will stop off at Knutsford Library to talk about her career.

"I am a real Mrs Gaskell fan so I can't wait," she said.

For more details about the event on Tuesday at 11am call the library on 01565 632909.

ssmith@guardiangrp.co.uk