BRITAIN'S most famous tennis mum Judy Murray confessed that she didn't understand the scope of the Ilkley Literature Festival until she took part in it this week.

The mother of world No 1s Jamie and Andy, on an unofficial visit to Ilkley Lawn Tennis & Squash Club the following day, said: "I didn't realise that Ilkley Literature Festival was such a big thing, and that it went on for 17 days."

The 58-year-old former Strictly Come Dancing star, who is on an exhaustive promotional tour for her book Knowing The Score, which tells of her family's rise to the top of tennis, added: "My talk went well and the King's Hall is an impressive building."

Judy then dropped in on Ilkley Lawn Tennis & Squash Club, and explained in an exclusive interview for the Telegraph & Argus: "I played here on County Week in the 1980s and it was a very different club then to what it is now.

"It has changed so much, and they have done really well with the facilities."

Murray was Great Britain's Federation Cup (the women's equivalent of the Davis Cup) captain from 2011-16 and runs a programme called Miss Hits, which aims to encourage more girls to play tennis.

She said: "It is great that Johanna Konta is in the world's top ten (she is world No 7 at the moment), but we need more strength in depth and some good juniors coming through.

"Johanna Konta is a role model for these girls and raises the profile of women's tennis in Great Britain, but we need more back up behind her."

Great Britain lost a contentious match World Group Two (second tier) play-off match 3-2 to Romania in Constanta earlier this year, and Murray added: "I would love to see us in the World Group of the Federation Cup."