From an early age I always loved to read and write. My mother taught me to read using my school reading book, a Beacon Reader about a farm with an assortment of animals and a particularly intelligent sheep dog!

On Christmas morning 1953 I finally owned my first book, Five Go off to Camp by Enid Blyton. I read it every night under the sheets by the light of my 3-colour torch and life seemed complete. Only in later years did I realise how difficult it must have been for my mother to afford that book.

When I became a headteacher of a village primary school in North Yorkshire, I began writing short stories about the humorous, and occasionally sad times in my working life. In 1980 I wrote the short stories ‘The Carrot Champion’ and ‘Dance With Your Eyes’ and these appear as chapters in Teacher Teacher!

However it wasn’t until I retired that I began writing full-time!

In 2005 I attended the Winchester Writers’ Conference and gave a copy of my novel to a London Literary Agent, Philip Patterson of Marjacq Scripts. My best Christmas present of 2005 was a telephone call from Philip saying he had enjoyed my book and was prepared to represent me and in 2006 he secured a contract for me with Transworld Publishers.