So far this year I've interviewed record-breaking round-the-world yachtsman Mike Perham, artist and novelist Roma Tearne and, briefly, Philip Pullman, who I'd love to interview more fully. I have interviews lined up with yachtswoman Dee Caffari and House of Commons Speaker John Bercow. Last year my interviewees included historian (and hunk) Dan Snow, Vice-Admiral Sir Jim Weatherall, entertainer and comic Julian Clary, legendary crooner Val Doonican and Pamela “Whizzer” Jordan, matriarch of the Jordans Cereal family.
One of the highlights of 2008 was finally getting to interview sporting hero, Sir Matthew Pinsent - four times Olympic gold medallist and 10 times a world rowing champion. Other interviewees that year included one of the “Three Blondes in a Boat” Sarah Ayton, a double Olympic gold medallist and world champion sailor; acclaimed broadcaster Sue Cook of BBC Radio 4, Crimewatch and Nationwide fame, and chef-restaurateur Antony Worrall Thompson.
Other recent interviewees include the Queen's racehorse trainer Nicky Henderson; composer Howard Goodall; entrepreneur and philanthropist Dame Stephanie Shirley; cook and food writer Sophie Grigson; the University of Oxford Chancellor and last Governor of Hong Kong, Chris Patten, (to give him his full title, the Rt Hon Lord Patten of Barnes); Bodley's Librarian Sarah Thomas; chef-restaurateur Raymond Blanc; authors Colin Dexter and Sir John Mortimer; the inimitable Boris Johnson, now Mayor of London; West End actress and singer - and thoroughly nice person - Claire Moore; Master of the Rolls, Sir Anthony Clarke and many others.
I started my career in journalism by completing an NCTJ course at Harlow College (which is where Piers Morgan trained - I didn’t notice him!). I was lucky enough to land a job at Eastern Counties Newspapers (now Archant), working as a news reporter and features writer on the Eastern Daily Press and the Evening News. In the intervening years, besides the in-depth interviews, I've reported news stories, styled fashion shoots, dreamt up interesting features, written up restaurant and holiday reviews and worked in PR. I've also produced three children - fast approaching adulthood!
For two years I was editor of the prestigious Eastern Daily Press Norfolk magazine before moving to the Oxfordshire-Buckinghamshire border. I was headhunted to work as editor of Oxfordshire Life magazine before making a decision to return to freelance writing.
Besides my day-to-day work, I am also writing a novel, which I hope will be ready to put before the reading public by 2011.
If you want to read latest interviews and articles, please visit my blog. I also use Twitter, though I try not to tweet about the mundane!