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My father was a shoe retailer and repairer and I was brought up behind the shop. I still remember my first pair of clogs which he made for me. They were green leather with a picture of Mickey Mouse picked out in brass nails on the wooden soles. I remember once, when I was in the infants, not being allowed to dance around the maypole because I'd forgotten to bring my plimsoles and the teacher wouldn't let me dance in my clogs.

Early Days

I was born in Oswaldtwistle, a small mill town surrounded by beautiful countryside in North-East  Lancashire. It was famous for James Hargreaves and his spinning jenny. My mother was a weaver before she married, as was her mother before her. They could lip-read and would mee-maw silently to each other as they had learned to do in the weaving shed above the clatter of the looms.

Hobbies

So what do I do when I’m not writing? Most of my life I’ve been involved with amateur dramatics. This is me as s child playing White Rose in Beauty and the Beast.

Note the bruises on my legs, a result of spending too much time climbing trees and damming streams. I was a real little tomboy.

And here I am some years later as Martha in Cranford, presenting my ‘follower’, Jem, to Miss Matty. That was such a delightful, funny role to play. Oh, but was I ever that young and thin? Ah, those were the days.

Having been involved in Amateur Dramatics helps me to get inside the head of a character, as an actor does in a play.

As I write a novel, I get to be director, producer, costume designer, props lady, and play every part myself.

Biog Early Days Starting out as a writer Life in Spain

Biographical Historicals family sagas

Luckpenny Land Series Sagas Champion Street Market Series Historicals