I have lived in St Annes for 30 years with my husband Steve, together bringing up our four children and now helping to raise nine grandchildren.
Trained as a teacher, I actually qualified and worked as a Youth and Community Worker, both in Blackburn and Clitheroe and was later employed as an Information Officer for Lancashire County Council.
Moving to St Annes in 1989, I worked for National Savings but took early retirement when the children left home for university - joining Steve who was then working for the British Council in Beijing. Living in China during a time of great change was very interesting but challenging in many ways and, returning home in 2011, it was a joy to be back with the family we love!
On my wish list for a perfect day out would be a summer picnic in our stunning countryside or maybe a fresh and breezy day at the beach. We do really have it all in our Beautiful Fylde.
I was surprised and very honoured to be asked by Mayor Peter Collins to be his Deputy. I will do my best to support him and his Mayoress Caroline and wish them all the best for a happy and productive Mayoral year.
Consort to the Deputy Mayor, Mr Steve Barker
I was born in 1948 in Brierfield, Lancashire and brought up in the area, attending Nelson Grammar School, then Westminster University for a Diploma in Journalism before attending Keele University.
My wife Jan and I were married in London in the mid-Seventies. Most of my career has been spent in the UK Civil service, working on the front line of Social Security, in the resettlement of homeless men, staff training and Information technology; latterly I worked in London for the Treasury’s Office of Government Commerce. In 2002 I began an assignment in Beijing for the British Council, managing a Social Security project on behalf of the Department of International Development followed by a second project in China with the European Union before returning to the UK in 2011.
Starting in 1978 I have been a freelance producer and broadcaster for the BBC, since 1984 with BBC Radio Lancashire presenting the underground music programme “On the Wire”. I have also been a columnist and contributor for The Wire magazine since 1996.
These days most of the spare time Jan and I manage to get is spent in entertaining one or more of our nine grandchildren. I know Jan and I will have a very busy schedule in helping the Mayor Peter Collins and the Mayoress Caroline, but I am really looking forward to doing the best I can in making sure they have a successful year.