
‘It’s too complicated to be interesting.’
I am guilty of over-thinking things and writing a BIO is going to be one of those. So, I may just bullet point my life and if you want to know anything else, well you can always email me 🙂 but honestly it is not that interesting! I have included myself only and spared my family an online Bio.
More importantly, in this blog, I will share with you my adventures, life events, oddities or whatever I think could be of interest, and I am not holding back!
- Born in Leeds (GB) in May, 1964
- Emmigrated to Canada with my family when I was a wee babe
- At 7 years old diagnosed with scoliosis – never let anyone tell you this is just an esthetic issue!
- Milwaukee brace fitted and worn for 11 years, 24/7, for what it was worth – I may as well have worn a hat!
- Left my heart and soul in Canada as my family returned to the UK in 1978/79
- Rebelled at new UK schools until diagnosed with heart condition, not a result of my rebellion, just an oversight by Doctors as a young child – ho hum!
- At 16 heart op to save life
- At 17 first op to correct my scoliosis with harrington rod, and we know how well that went!
- At 21 – university in London, followed by work at a Chartered Accountancy firm in Marble Arch until I tired of that life.
- a 3 year stint at the RSPCA branch of Enfield as the Treasurer and a volunteer.
- At 31 I was back in my old neighbourhood of Leeds with a job as an Accountant/Bookkeeper at a design studio
- Spetsie, my RSPCA rescue dog, joined me in my village semi and saved my life again
- Remember that harrington rod? well it broke at the base of my spine around about 1996, became detached and well I found it somewhat difficult to walk without valium or strong painkillers
- In 1997, they removed said rod – it took them several months of my time and money to discover the issue but I still believe the health service has our interests at heart
- 1997 – emmigrated to France, with Spetsie and 3 cats, bought a four bed bungalow on the edge of a town called Valréas – had a menagerie of animals including goats, rabbits, chickens, another 4 rescue dogs, and as many cats
- Taught English, worked for a tourist company and volunteered at a local dog rescue centre (a grande title for the row of shacks)
- Took to the road for a number of reasons in 2005, not all of those resons should be voiced publicly, sold up and headed to southern Italy, Puglia to be precise with my brood and a truck full of furniture and meagre belongings
- bought a trullo with an extension on top of a hill surrounded by 1.5 hectares of land in Ostuni, but the extension turned out to be illegal, thanks Mr. Estate Agent
- acquired more strays than I dare to count
- set up a business translating initially which led to being a Problem Solver or in other words, a Property Manager/Rental Manager
- sold the said trullo to a Milanese, whose real wealth was well disguised during negotiations!! and built a kennel for my brood, with a seaview
- moved into a rented one bed apartment near Cisternino, a happy abode.
See, I told you it wasn’t interesting.
#relaxpuglia #blogintheboot #gina&stellagoto #blondieontour
‘Writing is the best way to crystallise and integrate thoughts.’
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