After leaving school (which I Hated) I studied accountancy, whilst working, and by having day release,  I took  the intermediate accountancy exams.

I stopped studying after getting married and had my babies, Nicky and Terry.

In 1971 we all went to South Africa where I joined a firm of chartered accountants, who encouraged me to take my finals in accountancy, which really set a path for me as an accountant. I sometimes wonder if I wasn't encouraged to sTudy, what path life would have taken me.

WE LIVED 10 years in South Africa and two YEARS in zimbabwe. rETURNING to the UK in 1983.

I continued to work as an accountant, in milton keynes, but also had my first tattoo. I went into  Brent'S Tattoo Studio in Dunstable with some colleagues, intending to have a 'strawberRy' on my hip, Brent talkED me out of the strawberry saying, quiet rightly, on the beach it would look like a blemish. Brent'S partner waS IN THE STUDIO AT THE TIME AND HAD SOME EXQUISTITE TATTOOS, SO WE DECIDED TO GO FOR A LARGE JAPANESE HIP PIECE. tHE OUTLINE TOOK 2 1/2  HOURS, AND i WENT BACK FOR THREE OR FOUR SESSIONS FOR THE COLOURING IN.  iN 1983 WOMEN WERE NOT TATTOOED NEARLY SO MUCH AS TODAY, AND i received SOME STRANGE LOOKS WHENEVER WE WENT ON HOLIDAY. sEEING THE TATTOOIST WORKING ON ME WAS A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE SEEING THE ART COME TO LIFE, AND LIKE SO MANY OTHERS, THOUGHT IT LOOKED EASY,(VERY WRONG JUDEGMENT FOR THIS SKILLED ART). lIFE CARRIED ON, i ALWAYS WORKED STAYING IN ACCOUNTANY BECAUSE THE PAY WAS SO GOOD. tHEN 10 YEARS AGO, MY SON tERRY SAID HOW HE WOULD LOVE TO TATTOO, MY cOMPANY, A GOVERNMENT AGENCY WAS OFFERING PeOPLE VOLUNTARY REDUNDANCIES, AND i DECIDED AS THE FAMILY HAD GROWN UP, i WOULD GET TRAINING IN TATTOOING AND BODY PIERCING, AND TERRY WOULD DO THE SAME, AND WE STARTED OUR FIRST SMALL SHOP IN 2001 IN ABINGTON AVENUE nORTHAMPTON. TWO YEARS LATER WE MOVED TO BIGGER PREMISES IN MAREFAIR, A FAMILY TEAM, WHICH WORKS VERY WELL ,-MOST DAYS.....OF COURSE SOMETIME WE DO ARGUE.......LIKE MOST FAMILES.....AND MY SON IN LAW DICK,....SOMETIMES CAN BE VERY ANNOYING (BOY HAVE i WAITED FOR THAT ONE)

aT bODIFICATION i HELP PEOPLE CHOOSE AND FIND DESIGNS, AND i AM THE bODY pIERCER, AND OF COURSE i ALSO DO THE BOOKEEPING, sALARIES, SORT OUT THE INSURANCE...make tea and coffee....TAKE OUT THE RUBBISH ETC.,   i ALSO HAVE A LOT more TATTOO'S!

i LIVE WITH MY HUSBAND aNDREW, WHO WORKS AT cARLSBERG, AND HAS ALWAYS SUPPORTED ME IN THIS VENTURE, WE LIVE IN sT jAMES nORTHAMPTON.

i HAVE FOUR gRANDDAUGHTER'S, kAYLEIGH 21YEARS (RECEPTIONIST...SOMETIMES...... AT bODIFICATION) pENNY AGE 12 YEARS, kIM 11 YEARS AND tANYA 9 YEARS.

i COUNT MYSELF LUCKY TO WORK WITH PEOPLE i LOVE, AND LOVE DOING MY JOB,...JUST ONE TINY BIT OF ME REGRETS INSTEADING OF OPTING FOR THE aCCOUNTANCY WORK BECAUSE OF THE FINANCIAL REWARDS , i TOOK THE CHANCE of a new career EARLIER IN LIFE.