I am an extremely independent person; the result of life's experiences.
My earliest years were spent in Kenya. This wild and happy childhood was turned upside down when I was sent to a convent school in England run by Sisters of Mercy who would be better described as 'Merciless Sisters'. I empathised completely with Jane Eyre's school experiences.
In my teenage years I rebelled against the dogmatic and sadly poor teaching by discovering and consuming the works of George Bernard Shaw. I felt liberated and threw off the years of oppression by leaving and completing my A levels in a local college. I went to university in Scotland and learnt how to drink whiskey and how not to ski but thankfully came away qualified as a Biologist.
The call of the wild drew me back to Africa. I spent three fascinating and sometimes dangerous years as a research biologist in the game areas of Zambia. It was character forming having to change a Land Rover wheel in the blazing sun while being bitten by tsetse flies … downwind of a fresh pile of rhino dung.
During my farming years with two young children in the remote southern region of Zambia, I discovered a lifelong love of children's books and teaching. I fed my children a diet of Dr Seuss, Roald Dahl and so many more as I had to homeschool them. I captured my 'lost' childhood years with them.
Living on a farm gave us the wonderful opportunity to keep a wide range of animals and pets: horses, a miniature donkey, dogs, cats, rabbits, tortoises, Daisy (a crazy cow that had been bottle-fed but ruled the grounds and all in them), Theodore (a turkey who survived every Christmas. Nobody could eat a faithful bird who behaved like a guard dog) and various wild birds that we nurtured after storms had destroyed their nests. Animals will always feature fondly in anything that I write.
Then the Rhodesian War arrived on our doorstep. Nkomo's men were surreptitiously camping on our farm, which was close to the Rhodesian border, and just north of the Zambezi River. We had to evacuate our farm when Rhodesian troops arrived by helicopter and launched an attack on them. Neither the Rhodesians nor Nkomo won the battle for Rhodesia as Mugabe now rules. The appalling loss of life in that bush war highlighted the futility and stupidity of all war. Whenever an opportunity arises in writing , I emphasise the stupidity .
My teaching years in South Africa covered high schools as well as junior schools. There were memorable lessons when, as the Biology teacher, I brought live specimens into the junior classrooms as teaching aids. Harmless snakes, chameleons, elephant shrews and whatever my children and I managed to catch in turn were briefly held in a vivarium and then released where they were found at the end of the day. It was always the snakes and chameleons that aroused the most interest. These inspired the characters, 'Gnashers', a zany, humorous snake and Fango, a transforming Chameleon Dragon. They have pivotal roles in The Great Wizard Wars. Well … it is an amusing fantasy for children where anything is possible.
My most difficult lesson in life was accepting that I had to protect myself in South Africa. During the final years of Apartheid, the unrest escalated. I had two narrow escapes when driving alone on roads north of Pietermaritzburg. I applied for a gun license and bought a PPK. When people I knew were murdered, I decided enough was enough and moved to England with my children where I lectured.
I now live on an island where there is minimal crime and children are safe. I realise that I am a living island as I immerse myself in a world of writing for children while drawing on life's experiences.
