I was born in Sunderland in the mid 50s so I am a baby boomer through and through.  I still love the music of Led Zepplin and drag my husband to see Robert Plant any time he is on tour. 

My parents moved from the North East to Aylesbury when I had just started school and then moved back to the North East as I was about to go to grammar school.   After school I worked in retail management but that was much too hierarchical for me.  I left and joined the Civil Service whilst I worked out what to do next.   38 years later I took advantage of an early release scheme.  I really enjoyed my time in the Civil Service which was spent overwhelmingly in DWP though I did do a brief spell in HM Treasury.   I was lucky enough to have a varied career specialising  in operational management and programme management.  Latterly those jobs were all national so I did an enormous amount of travel.  I used to joke that when I retired I was going to do a PHD comparing and contrasting the rail operators of the UK.  The East Coast service was, of course, the best. 

I started learning to play bridge in my early 20s as a favour to a friend.  He persuaded me to go to lessons in Sunderland bridge club where my teacher, Raephie Stuart, infected me with his love of the game.   We joined the bridge club and I still remember how thrilled I was when I achieved the level of club master.  I won my first North East tournament with Georgia Ray a few years later.  That was very special too.  Bridge has given me so much in the years since I started.  Most of my enduring friendships have come through bridge.  I met my husband Julian playing bridge.  We have a pact not to play with each other and it is hard to say who enforces that pact most strongly.  I have represented my county and my country playing bridge.  I still love the game and play regularly. 

Now that I have more time I want to give something back and am looking forward to my time on the Board.  The Chairman, Sally Bugden, has asked me to Chair the new National Club Committee where my focus will be to ensure that the voice of the clubs and individual members is heard in Board decisions.  I also would like to support Sally and the Board in everything they are doing to improve two way communications.  Feel free to contact me with your views on any club matters.

Outside of bridge I enjoy playing board games with friends.  Although we are close friends it is still a highly competitive environment.   I like cooking and am a member of a cake club in Newcastle.  We all bake a special cake, take it along to a nice venue and then sample away.  My record is 7 (small) slices with an accompanying sugar rush.  I enjoy live theatre, dance and all types of music though these days I am more likely to be found at an opera than a rock concert.  I have a weak spot for reality TV and watch X factor, 4 in a bed, dinner date and this year am watching Strictly for the first time.   My husband is a big fan of rugby and I have joined him as a season ticket holder for the Newcastle Falcons.  I would never have thought it of me but I enjoy it.