On leaving school I went on to get a B.Ed hons degree and then to teach English, RE, Philosophy and Drama in comprehensive, grammar and public schools. For almost twenty years after leaving school I wrote poetry privately but did not put it out into the public domain. Before earning a living full time from poetry I spent years as a teacher, specialist visiting teacher and as a special needs advisor. I studied for an M.A. in Drama in Education but when we lost a baby I felt unable to finish it.  I later studied for an M.A. in Special Educational Needs (asd) but this coincided with my Poetry Pals work in schools and with my becoming the City of Birmingham Poetry Slam Champion. For a while further studies simmered on the back burner but when I became Birmingham Poet Laureate and my work schedule grew to be unbelievably hectic, I decided set aside academic courses and to focus on poetry full time.

For just over twenty years (in my twenties, thirties and forties) we were living in a hotel and building up the business.  This meant that alongside teaching jobs I was called on to do all sorts of jobs in the hotel too. I also set up a nursery school in the hotel grounds and we employed a friend of mine, who was an infant teacher and brilliant with small children, to teach there. The school was a great success for five years, but when Jane gained a wonderful new post abroad, we decided to convert the nursery school (which was the old chauffeur's cottage) into our family home. For their infant years both of my children went to school. In their junior years they were home educated. These were happy times,magical and creative, we allowed ourselves to take time out to stare at the flames of the coal fire, to play musical insturments, to sing and make up stories... just wonderful!