ABOUT ME
I live in the racecourse-less county of Hertfordshire, north of London. However, my nearest racecourse is Kempton Park, followed closely by Ascot. Sandown Park, Huntingdon and Towcester are quite near too. I work full time, Monday to Friday, as an Administrator. I’ve previously worked for a High Street bank, in my family business, for a North Sea oil survey company, a computer software company, and have completed a degree at the University of Hertfordshire whilst a mature student.
My interests:	Horse racing – especially Choc Thornton. Cross-stitching (my beautiful ‘Fire and Ice’ cross stitch picture above – being 14” by 20” it took 6 months to complete). Click here to see my Cross Stitch Gallery Jewellery making – for me, and occasionally made and sold to raise money for various charities/causes. Friends and family like to receive hand-made necklaces and earrings for birthdays or Christmas too. And if you’d like to take a look at more of these items of jewellery, please click here: Jane's Jewellery.pdf Knitting – usually scarves these days, as they are quick to produce and it provides an opportunity to use many different yarns and colours. Rambling – mainly locally or throughout the Chiltern Hills.
Most Treasured Possessions:	A lock of Choc’s beautiful hair from his 2008 charity haircut (above), also his autograph collected at Sandown Park on 26 April 2008. A tennis ball as used by Andre Agassi during a practice session at Wimbledon in 2003, plus two autographs.
Favourite TV Shows:	Strictly Come Dancing Midsomer Murders Most Haunted Escape to the Country / Homes Under the Hammer / To Buy or Not to Buy How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria / Any Dream Will Do / I’d Do Anything Mock the Week / QI / Have I Got News for You
Favourite Films:	Witness You’ve Got Mail French Kiss Somewhere in Time Kate and Leopold While You Were Sleeping The Lake House Predator (yes, really!)
Favourite Authors:	Wendy Holden Jilly Cooper Erica James Veronica Henry Dick Francis John Francome Ann Granger (Mitchell and Markby novels) Lyndon Stacey – Murder In Mind – Choc kindly assisted the author during her research for this novel. http://www.lyndon-stacey.com/diary.php
Music:	Eclectic – Duffy, Keane, Snow Patrol, Lee Mead (who shares Choc’s birthday of 14 July), Motown, Soul, some classical (such as Rachmaninov), music from shows.
Horse Riding:	I learnt to ride at the age of 9, continuing to the age of 17, when my local riding stables closed down. My first riding lesson was on a grey 15-hand cob called Kϋmmel, and my favourite ponies were a pretty bay gelding called Lollipop, and Shane, a kind-natured chestnut with a large white blaze. Whilst a mature student at University, I decided to try horse-riding again but, after jumping a fence without Monty, sliding to the ground whilst hanging around Sydney’s neck and finally my falling off of Joe as he bolted across Knebworth Park, which resulted in my being mildly concussed, I realised my riding skills had not improved with age and I decided this hobby was far too dangerous to continue! However, over 20 years later, I did go on a two-hour western ride in the New Forest! (see below)
Likes:	Chocolate, cheese (my favourite is Wensleydale) ... and I like sprouts and marmite too!
Dislikes:	Cyclists riding on the pavement and ignoring red traffic lights, vehicles ignoring pedestrians on zebra crossings, broccoli, soap operas ... and big spiders (I can just about cope with small to medium sized ones!)
This is a photograph of me (aged 10) with one of my favourite ponies, Shane			Here I am aboard the grey Kϋmmel at the riding school’s annual gymkhana.
... and many years later - 18 May 2013 My New Forest riding adventure aboard the wall-eyed Concho			Ditto
Me (left) aboard Concho, with Michelle (centre) aboard a mare (but I can’t remember her name) and Steph (right) aboard the mare Cree (photos courtesy of Steph)