About Me
" Bringing History To Life"
Growing up just down the road from Hampton Court Palace and with a Mother who worked in Conservation there, I was lucky enough to visit the Palace many times a year. In fact I believe we visited most weekends and I absolutely loved it! The history, the glamour and the ghost stories got me hooked! As I grew up I would read books and books about different periods in history, I would watch countless film and television adaptations, visit as many historical sites as I could and dream of the day that I would be able to work in an environment where historical costume was my uniform.
That dream finally became a reality in 2008 when, in my final year of a BA Hons in Acting for Stage and Media, I was employed to bring the character of Annie Chase, (the Scullery Maid), to life at Audley End House in Essex. I was in my element and loved every minute of it. Having found such enjoyment in teaching others about the past I then decided to gain my NVQ Level 3 in Children’s Care, Learning and Development which has subsequently opened doors to Nursery Nurse and Teaching Assistant work, Public Engagement Assistant work at Historic Royal Palaces and land a Learning Facilitator role at Hampshire Cultural Trust. With nearly 15 years combined experience in these areas I have seen, first-hand, how a change in environment and hands on activities can encourage everyone to embrace and take charge of their own learning and maybe find an interest in something they otherwise wouldn’t necessarily have engaged in.
Over the years I have developed my learning by taking historical dance classes and attending various re-enactment events. Involvement in the above has also led me to learn how to sew and I now make all my costumes based on patterns and fashion plates/portraits from particular periods. My historical wardrobe currently contains Tudor, Georgian and Regency gowns. It keeps growing every year and since I started sewing I have attended Regency Balls, English Civil War battles, Tudor Banquets and a Venetian Masquerade!
