<p>My life began in 1937 in Britain, followed by a rather disjointed childhood, but with nursing and midwifery under my belt I was ready for the challenge of a whole new country to explore for the price of ten pounds. Throw in a few very odd jobs along the way, from exotic dancing to secret agent in a holiday camp. Then on to a retirement as a marketer, selling my own craft to unconventional market research, and the advent of Muriel Sidebottom, my alter ego talking about all those elephants in the room, and I'm not there yet. Life in a retirement village offers great possibilities for more adventures.</p>