I was born in London in 1963. By the time I was 11 years old, I had lived in London, Canada, Aberdeen, Cambridge and York. My family finally settled in York and I spent the next 5 years at Queen Anne Grammar School for Girls, before moving on to Harrogate College of Arts to do my A levels. I then gained a place at the Royal College of Music, to study piano and singing. I graduated with an Honours Degree in Music, after which I gained a Postgraduate Teaching Certificate at the London Institute of Education. I had always wanted to teach, ever since I was a very young and I then began a career in teaching which lasted for 32 years. The final 18 years of my working life was as a Headteacher in an urban Primary School in Yorkshire.
I am a bookaholic and I took great pleasure in passing on my love of books and reading to the children I worked with. Although I enjoyed teaching my pupils how to create good quality fiction and non-fiction, I never found the time to have a go myself. Much as I loved my job, it began to take its toll and I took early retirement at the age of 55. A few years after that, I finally found the time to start writing. The memoir I am submitting to this competition is my first completed manuscript, which I wrote during the Covid pandemic. I am currently enjoying writing poetry and short stories. I have also made a start on a Science Fiction novel.
