I was born in Edgware Middlesex and educated at Harrow County Grammar School for Girls and Loughborough University of Technology. After graduating, Alan (also a graduate of Loughborough University of Technology) and I moved to Kent. We relocated to Seattle WA for two years before returning to Kent and then moving to Verwood in 1985. I worked for organisations in the public and private sector in Personnel Management until our son, Ross was born in 1984.
I have been an active member of many local groups. I was elected to the Town Council in 1990 and have chaired three Council committees, taken part in several working parties and represented the Council on many outside bodies. I served as Town Mayor 2003-2004 and was honoured to be Town Mayor again 2017.
I was a member of East Dorset District Council from 1995 to 1999. I have been active in the Dorset Association of Parish and Town Councils on behalf of the Town Council for many years, serving as Chairman from 2008 to 2011. Currently I represent Dorset at the South West Regional Council of Local Councils and National Association of Local Councils.
From 1997 to 2009 I served as a Non-Executive Director, Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS (later Foundation) Trust and also as a Lay Chair/Lay Adv isor to the Wessex Medical Deanery.
Alan and I have been very active in the dog sledding world, having owned Siberian Huskies for almost 20 years. We have however, now retired from this sport. Since Alan retired in 2014, our main activities centre around archaeology and an offshoot of this for me is cake making! I am also a very enthusiastic amateur genealogist and family historian and have been delighted to find some local roots – my great great grandfather was born in Sixpenny Handley.
I am a Chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.