Who remembers this book?
I've just Googled the author and it seems she was born in 1942 and wrote 4 books for children - Creed Country (1969); The Thirteen Days of Christmas (1972); The Nightwatch Winter (1973); The Ship from Simnel Street (1986).
Can't find anything else out though!
I rather thought the illustrations were by Shirley Hughes (there is another edition with a different illustrator) but I can't find that anywhere online.