Louis Osman

Louis Osman (30 January 1914 – 11 April 1996), nicknamed Bumps, the noted British an English artist, architect, goldsmith, silversmith and medallist was a friend of Agatha Christie and her husband Max Mallowan. They met in the 1930s when Osman joined an archaeological expedition in Syria.

Osman is mentioned frequently in Christies account of life during the expedition Come, Tell Me How You Live. The book is dedicated to him among others. According to Christie, the nickname arose from a remark Osman made while on the train heading out for the expedition. Near Nissibin, he had looked out of the window and said of the scenery that "It's all over bumps!" Colonel Burn, a fellow member of the expedition had to remind him that each bump was a tel and potentially a buried city dating back thousands of thousands of years.

Osman converted an old squash court on the grounds of Christie's house Winterbrook and built a house known as "Old Court". In 1985 this sturcture was upgraded and extended into a separate dwelling.