My nurse training began in 1973, which I completed in 1976, followed by midwifery training in 1978. During this time I had married and we had our two daughters, Rebecca and Emily. Rebecca is a heart failure specialist in the community and Emily works with families with neuro-diverse conditions.

Following spells on F7 and Coronary Care we moved to Essex in 1982. There I worked for an agency before joining the evening service in the community. In 1988 we moved back to Thurston and I joined the community teams working at Baxter Street Surgery in Bury, followed by twelve years at Ixworth Surgery. During this time I was involved with the first blood transfusion in the community and conducted trials in intravenous antibiotics being administered in the community.

Further roles included four years with NHS-funded Continuing Care in Bury and Ipswich, accessing complex patients across the county. At the same time I had rejoined the local evening service team where I continued until I retired in December 2024 after fifty-two years with the NHS.

My motivation for heart failure was due to the sudden death of my father-in-law in 1992 and then the death of my father in 1999 after three heart attacks. He had been a regular visitor to the local Upbeat group in Sudbury.

My hobbies include walking, netball, my garden, and Mr Boris, our cockerpoo, as well as holidays and spending time with the family and grandchildren.