I was born in Kent but spent most of my school days in Berkshire. My Dad worked at Aldermaston at AWRE and I went to school in Newbury, which at that time was a quiet market town without the traffic problems of today, just occupied by Americans at Greenham Common I spent most of my school life playing sports and my academic studies suffered as a result. I played lacrosse at county and international level.
When the time came to decide on a career I went to Chelsea College of P.E based in Eastbourne Sussex. Whilst at school I had an interest in history and as my mother worked at Reading Uni I was able to go on my first dig on the Roman road that ran adjacent to the Bath Road near Thatcham. My teaching career has been varied since 1968 ..PE, history, careers advice, pastoral work. I now teach in an independent Prep school in Eastbourne.
In the early 1990’s I qualified as a Field Archaeologist through Birkbeck College. Since then I have been able to work on many sites of different periods in Sussex. This was mainly due to the willingness of the professional unit here to allow volunteers to contribute to archaeology. But since 1998 I have been directing an excavation next to Herstmonceux Castle East Sussex …where we are investigating a range of post medieval agricultural buildings. I have to say that this has been a vertical learning curve for me but I have had great support and help from the ‘professional’ archaeologists I met during my time as a volunteer. In 2001 we begin our 4th season.
I am also a trustee of the Sussex Archaeological Society, one of the oldest archaeological societies in the Britain. We own and administer properties including Fishbourne Roman Palace, Lewes Castle, Michelham Priory.
My plans for the future? Hopefully as many of my friends here know, my husband and I (!) will be emigrating to Portugal next year but I shall be returning to dig at Herstmonceux. I also hope to stay online when in Portugal so I can keep in touch with everyone!!