Karen with Pearl the Haggis
I was born at home in the very first house that my parents bought in Birmingham when they arrived from the West Indies. I am one of five girls and my father claims not to enjoy being surrounded by women but we all know that secretly he loves it!
I had a wonderful childhood and enjoyed going to school. My parents instilled the desire to learn and also to have fun at the same time. My sisters and I would visit the library twice a month from a very early age, choosing books that allowed us to use our imagination and feel as if we were part of the adventures in the books that we were reading. Some of my favourite books included the “Famous Five”, “The Secret Seven”, “The Naughtiest Girl Again”, “The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe”, “The Alice in Wonderland Adventures”, “Pony Jobs for Jill” and a whole lot more.
My Primary school ran a book club and that allowed me to buy books and pay for them on a weekly basis until they were mine to take home. Thus, I now have a reasonable size collection of books, bought from being a young child, through my teenage years and into adulthood. I don’t buy many books now as I tend to have them bought for me by family and friends as birthday and Christmas presents.
I also had outdoor adventures, building trees houses and dens with my sisters and our friends. We would pretend to build camp fires to keep warm on fictitious cold winter days and nights and to cook food for sustenance. Oh, what fun we had!
I was given my first camera which I still have when I was aged 7 years old and became the “official” family photographer. I took photographs of my family, vegetables on my father’s allotment, nature, even our burnt-out garage and the firemen who put the fire out.
After school I went to university and it had been very difficult choosing between doing a degree in a “Art’s” based subjects or Science”, science won. A few science degrees later I became a clinical pharmacist, a job that I really enjoy.
I am married to Andy a hospital consultant and academic, also known as grandad birdman. When we first met, we would sit talking about our childhood adventures for hours and hours. It was this that had relit my desire to write stories, plays, poems and lyrics primarily for children, but adults too. Along with my passion for reading, dance, music, gardening, nature, photography and education, and my husband’s support has eventually led to the setting up of this website.
Andy with Pearl the Haggis
I was born in Birmingham but moved to Colwyn Bay aged 8 and this is where I developed my love of the countryside and birds in particular. My twin brother and I spent days roaming through the country side, building dens and watching nature.
I have a great love for music especially classical music but also jazz and folk music. I play the French horn, compose and conduct. I believe music is for everyone at every age. I had a career as a doctor but my passions remain music and nature.
I share Karen’s vision of helping children to discover the natural world and expressing their feelings about everything in their lives, whether this be joy or sorrow. Everyone needs a creative outlet for their emotions. This is especially true as children discover the wonders of the world around them.