Some details about me:
I was born in Edinburgh on St. Patrick's Day 1987. {Although we lived in Norwich, I arrived 3 weeks early!} I am the youngest of three children. My big sister, Susannah, is twelve years older than me; my big brother, Philip, is ten years older. They are a Doctor and an Accountant, respectively. Suze lives with her Husband Peter in Warnbro, Western Australia; they have three children - Jill, Annabelle and Jeffrey. Phil leaves in Horsforth, near Leeds, UK with his wife Jane; they have two children - Peter and Angela. [Update - Baby Sophie was born in 2014!]
I am the daughter of a University Lecturer (Dad) and an Assistant Head Teacher (Mum). Mum has retired, Dad is doing two more years. They divorced in 2006.
I lived an idyllic childhood, in staff accommodation, on the University campus and was a familiar figure around the campus as a toddler; little girl and then an over confident, precocious teenager .
As the University has its own "Broad", I learned to swim, sail and kayak at a very early age; encouraged by both parents and my siblings who were proficient at all three disciplines already.
I attended the local, fee-paying, Girls' Independent School (where Mum was Head of English) from my fourth birthday until I finished my A Levels.
My exam results earned me a place at a well known (all women) College in Cambridge where I gained a First in Classics in 2009.
Prior to that I took a Gap Year, going to Australia to stay with my sister and family and working part time at Myers Department Store, Fremantle. I also acted as an unpaid and unofficial nanny to my two nieces and nephew.
I met my Fiancé, Richard Adams (yes, I know but he's no relation to the writer) during my second term at University. We became engaged in my second year. He was a Post Graduate Student, working on his PhD in History. I use the past tense because he was killed in a car crash in the months before my finals. I was offered a deferment but went ahead with my exams anyway, then fled to Australia, to my sister.
In Australia I had a mini-breakdown and hit the lowest ebb I have ever reached in my life. I was prevented from committing suicide by sheer chance. Medication, therapy and lots of loving support saw me recover sufficiently to take a job back at Myers in August of that year.
I stayed full time at Myers until September 2010, when my Dad used his connections to get me a post with one of his ex-school / university chums in a law firm in Sheffield (to whence Mum had moved to be assistant Head Teacher). I was employed as an Archivist.
Later that year my Australian Grandma died and surprised everyone by leaving an eight figure sum in her will, to be divided up between her children and their offspring. I used £100k of this money to buy myself a small house in Oughtibridge, on the north western edge of Sheffield, where I live to this day. (August 2013 at the time of writing.) [Updated in July 2015.]
In 2007, Richard and I bought a Weimaraner called Callie (short for Calliope, the Muse of Epic poetry) she is still with me, living a life of Riley and enjoying being the centre of my attention.
In September 2011 I began a two year, part time, MA course at Sheffield University. I was awarded the degree this summer. From September of 2013 I was employed, at the University, in the role of Research Assistant with a few hours of teaching. I have managed to wangle my way into keeping a part time commitment to the law firm, doing the equivalent of one day a week as one of their archivists.
I am writing this, at the moment, in Australia, at my sister's; where I have come for a holiday before taking up my new post on the first of the month.
I think I am an honest, hardworking and sensible young woman. I try to not to upset anyone with my outspoken and forthright comments but I am afraid I do not always succeed. People do consider me a little sarcastic and a touch intimidating - I would refute that but can see they might have a point.
My hobbies and interests are academic and artistic mainly: reading, the theatre, Classical Music, the Arts in general. I also love the outdoors being a very proficient rock climber; an avid Fell Walker (200 Wainwrights so far) and an adequate sailor and canoeist (kayak). I simply adore travelling and love discovering new places, as well as revisiting old favourites. [2015 update still 6 Wainwrights left to complete!]
Socially, I am quite outgoing. I have a large circle of friends and acquaintances drawn from my school days, my time at (both) Universities and my work.
My love life is complicated. I was rather wanton when I was younger. I settled down in my second term at Uni. Since Richard's loss I have been very circumspect about relationships. I completely surprised myself by embarking on a relationship with another woman in 2012. She instigated it and I simply went along out of curiosity and a belief that we must always be open to new ways of thinking. She and I have been a couple for almost a year; I have no idea where it will lead but I am enjoying the new experience and I hope it will last.
God, this does sound such a long winded, boring old piece of guff.
What will follow will be a journal of me from mid July onwards.
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