I originally trained as a singer at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama but had to re-think my career plans when my professor commented, “Your voice is ok, but your legs are very much better!” Musical theatre beckoned. And some acting. There was some success, but not much. However, eventually, in 1979, I became a news presenter for Anglia TV. At last, I had found something I loved that other people thought I was good at. It was a huge relief. I had the best time and stayed for 12 happy years.
One of the bonuses of that time was that I worked with, and later married, David Delvin who was both a doctor, author of 36 books, countless columns and articles and an excellent broadcaster.
After Anglia, I embarked on a freelance broadcasting and writing career as a health journalist. I also became an agony aunt for various publications including TV Times, Best, BBC Parenting, The Scotsman and Woman. During these “problem page” years, I decided to train in integrative and cognitive behaviour therapy and worked part time as a psychotherapist in Harley Street, which continued for 20 years. Much of my work involved collaborating with my husband and that was a supremely happy arrangement which suited us both and continued until his sad death in 2018.
Over a period of three decades, I was commissioned to write Get the Happiness Habit, How to Mend a Broken Heart, and a further eight self-help titles, but as I approached 70, I felt the need to change direction and write fiction. I have now published four novels in which the main characters are all aged well over 50.
Another strand of my career is public speaking and interviewing authors and other artists. At the Royal Opera House, I have hosted conversations for the Insight Programme with Gary Avis, Sir Bryn Terfel and Juan Diego Flores. I have also chaired medical conferences at The King’s Fund and other venues. Additionally, I often interview authors at books events, and three of my favourite writers have been Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason, Carol Drinkwater and Lady Glenconner.
Since 2007, I have become increasingly passionate about the concept of Positive Ageing and helping people to live life as well as possible for as long as possible. In 2010, I wrote Too Young to Get Old – the baby boomers guide to living life to the full. These days I write a weekly column on ageing well for six newspapers in East Anglia and I give around 20 talks a year to organisations such as Women’s Institute and U3A. I am also writing another book on what we can do to increase our health span.
I do my best to practise what I preach; I walk 20 miles most weeks and also do Pilates and ballet regularly.
Finally, having assumed I would be alone for the rest of my life after David’s death, I met a lovely gentleman at the beginning of last year, who was also widowed. This has been an unexpected delight, and I feel very fortunate. His name is Darrel, and we now live together, very contentedly, in Suffolk.