A MUM from a travelling funfair family has traded on her experience of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to produce a children’s book available from Waterstones and Amazon.

Claire Danter, writing under the name of Claire Carey, wrote Nelson's Funfair Holiday more than a year ago, having turned to writing as a form of therapy after she was attacked.

Mrs Danter, 46, and husband James and sons James Jnr and Jonathan were part of the reopening of Barry Island Pleasure Park in 2015 and stayed for three seasons.

Her niece India Danter, who has illustrated the book, was born in Newport, moved to Caldicot and grew up on the funfair travelling around South Wales with her parents at Caldicot, Abergavenny, Cwmbran, Newport, and Cardiff.

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Mrs Danter said: “My journey to becoming a writer is the classic story of turning negative into positive.

“I started writing just after I suffered an attack - it was an unexpected vicious attack by another woman.

“After the attack I started to suffer from PTSD.

“I visited my doctor many times, how could I have PTSD?

“I hadn't been to the front line.

“My doctor told me it only takes one traumatic event or one moment when you believe your life could be lost.

“The mental burden of PTSD is dreadful.

“I wouldn't wish that on anybody.

“It has taken me over two years of my life to get to somewhere near normal and even now I'm not the same person I was.

“The writing was the escape I needed.

“Writing has aided my recovery so far and I would recommend this to anyone suffering from PTSD.

“Although I'm left with the scars of PTSD, it’s is behind me now.

“Writing has now become a hobby for me and the sense of achievement - holding a published book in your hands that you have written is the best feeling.

“It’s great.”

Mrs Danter drew inspiration from a children’s book which she personally found horrifying.

“I saw a children's book called Dex and the Funfair by Paul Shipton.

“In my opinion the story is shocking.

“Even if I wasn't part of the funfair industry myself, I wouldn't want my children to read such a book.

“The worst part about this, is the book is fact that it is in some school libraries.”

The book details Dex smashing up a tin can alley stall and the stallholder giving Dex a prize to make him leave.

“This is shocking on all levels,” she said. “Allowing children to read books like this at the age of five or six cannot be a good thing.

“My second inspiration came when my nephew came on holiday with while we were on our travels, which in turn reminded me just how much fun it was growing up on the fairground.

“I decided to write Nelson's Funfair Holiday - a story about a little boy who goes to stay with his auntie who owns a funfair.

“This story will give children a glimpse of what it is like visiting and growing up on the fairground.

“Children in my opinion must have all the experiences life has to offer to broaden their minds ready for the wider world.

“Travelling fairgrounds are part of our heritage in the UK and across Europe.

“It’s our history, its who we are and we are all play a part in that, whether you grow up on the fairground or not.”

The Danters originally hail from Brynmawr.

Goff Danter, an artist, was able to offer India tips and advice on illustrating the book which is her first having previously been commissioned to do pencil drawings under the trade name Romayne Art.

Mrs Danter also has another book under her belt.

Entitled Me and My Social Media, it’s a short, gripping story about the dark side of social media and how a perfectly normal family can be turned upside down.”

“I am very proud of this book,” she added. “Everybody who reads it tells me they cannot put it until they have finished it.”

Nelson's Funfair Holiday costs £7.99 and is available from Amazon and Waterstones.