I was born in Dronfield Woodhouse, Derbyshire, England. I attended Bedford College, London University, where I read Geography with subsidiary History, and graduated with an Upper Second Class Honours degree. I returned north to Sheffield where I obtained my Diploma in Education with distinction in theory.

I taught on Merseyside, in Derbyshire and in Sheffield under my former married name of Boyce. The last six years of my teaching career were spent at Norton College (later the Sheffield College) as Senior Lecturer in Humanities. In 1987 I studied Italian in Florence and in 1992 I was admitted to the Institute of Linguists, London.

In 1999 I met former WW2 Australian airman, Jack Doyle, after which I wrote The Trasimene Line. June-July 1944 (Uguccione Ranieri di Sorbello Foundation, Perugia 2002). The Italian translation was awarded the special prize in the 22nd National Awards for History texts 'G.Grifoni' Panicale, Umbria in 2005. My other publications can be found on Lulu