About

I was born in Derby in the UK in 1952, moved with my parents to Hinckley, Leicestershire in 1956 and have been living in the Tyrol since 1971. I am married with 2 sons and 2 grandchildren. My mother still lives in Bournemouth since moving there with my father in 2000.

I wasn’t exactly born on a bicycle, but almost brought up on one, as my Dad built a side-car for me, which though similar to the kiddie-trailers of today, was a sensation in the 50s. My parents used to do fairly long distances.

Dad bought me my first bicycle second-hand and did it up with loving care. There were no stabilisers in those days and he just ran along the street holding the saddle, then he just let go and before I realised it, I was riding on my own! At first it was just a means of transport for going to school and back, then I started short cycle rides with my friends, so that we could go into the woods and tell secrets, jokes etc. without the danger of parents and siblings hearing us. Actually I was very unsporty as a child, and hated gym etc. at school

I only really took up sport after coming to the Tyrol, starting with skiing, then cycling and keep-fit. It was only after several years of doing this, that I learned how good sport is for me and eventually I began to need and enjoy it. It helps me keep my weight down too.

I have been organising 2-7 day cycle trips for our keep-fit group Aktivclub Nassereith for 20 years, mainly fairly locally (including Germany and Italy) but also in Ireland, Majorca and Cornwall and in the meantime I am chairwoman of the club. I started to do my own trips in 1998 with my “Tour D’Autriche”, starting in Passau and cycling via Vienna and Eisenstadt to the very south of Styria, along the wine-routes and into Carinthia before finishing the trip in Lienz in the Eastern Tyrol. This trip, which took me 20 days (including 2 free ones) was 1300 Kms./800 miles long and involved 10.000 m./11000 yards of climb. Since then I have done several 3 day tours in Salzburg, Upper- and Lower Austria, Styria and of course Tyrol.