Growing up
Do you like making-up stories?

From the moment I can remember, I was always imagining things and making-up stories.

My mother, father, older sister Vivienne and I lived in a terraced house in Ryde on the Isle of Wight.

It was great fun living on an Island.  It meant that if we wanted to visit London, we had to catch a boat to go over to the mainland and I thought that was a big adventure.

I loved having picnics on the beach, swimming in the sea, building sand castles, searching for crabs in the rock-pools and hoping I would find a massive pearl or an ancient coin that would make me rich. Just press the button and take a listen to the sound of the sea.  Isn’t it beautiful?

Sea Waves-SoundBible.com-946156036

Once, I found a ten shilling note on the pavement – worth about 50 pence today – and I was able to buy ice-creams all summer long with the money!

As I was the youngest, I always had to climb the stairs to go to bed first. Lying awake in my bedroom, a little bit scared of the dark, I thought I could see strange people hiding in the shadows on my ceiling.

My mother used to walk me to school every morning and then fetch me home for lunch. Afterwards, she would walk me back to school and finally collect me when lessons were over. On one really hot day, I brought my blazer home at lunch time and then brought it home again at the end of the day.  The trouble was, I hadn’t taken a coat into school in the first place! So, I  had 3 blazers and 2 other children must have been worried that they’d lost their blazers forever.

Catching the Performing Bug 
From a little girl, I have loved everything to do with performing.

My first school was St Therese Presentation Convent.  Sister Baptiste must have spotted that I had some talent because my first public engagement was at the age of six, on a Parents’ Day, when I had to present the Reverend Mother with a bouquet of flowers. Even now I can remember feeling faint with nerves, hoping I wouldn’t fall over and look silly in front of everyone.  But I really enjoyed it, too.

Next, I got the part of Mary in the school Nativity Play.  I wanted to be an angel and wear those flittery, glittery wings but it wasn’t to be. Dressed up in my long blue gown and white veil, I said my words.  I can remember getting hotter and hotter. After I’d finished speaking, I ran off-stage and got to the girls’ toilets just in time to be sick.

Next, I was taught a poem and recited it from memory in the Isle of Wight Musical Dance and Drama Festival. I was excited to see who had won the shiny, silver cup.  I can’t remember now if that was me or not, but I’d caught the performance bug and have entered the Festival for years and years and years.

In my teens and twenties I belonged to two Island Amateur Dramatic groups, the Bellevue Players in Ryde and the Apollo Players in Newport. My acting parts ranged from the Angel Jelly in Follow the Star to the killer in an Agatha Christie play.  Recently, I’ve also been an actor and writer in comedy sketches at the Ventnor Fringe.

Music, Theatre and Becky
Do you play a musical instrument?

I’ve always been crazy about music – especially the piano, which I practised for hours and hours when I was younger.  Nowadays, I give piano lessons to lots of lovely young girls and boys and adults, too.

Have you ever been to the theatre?

It’s a magical world of lights and sounds and stories.  My daughter, Becky, is as enchanted with acting as I am.  She went to Drama School and now has her own recording studio where she creates audio books and voice-overs for adverts.

My interest in the theatre has led me to teach students acting and I now give Speech and Drama lessons at clubs called ‘Tongue Twisters’ and ‘Speak Easy’.

And guess what, I’m still living on the Island, because I never wanted to leave.

Writing
Do you like making-up stories?

From the moment I can remember, I was always imagining things and making-up stories.

My first picture book was published in 2013.  It’s called Dick Whittington Gets on His Bike.  This is quite funny as I have no sense of balance and am totally unable to ride a bike myself.  So, I bought a tricycle in the hopes that three wheels would be easier, but I don’t ride it out because I look pretty silly on it!

I’m now working on other stories and hope to be published again soon.

My pets

Onyx is first, followed by Topaz…