Who am I?

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I always wanted to be war photographer; I soon realised that what I really wanted to do was tell people’s stories. Each of us has a story and we judge our own story by what is ‘normal’ to us. This is where my fascination began, as even if we have a shared event with someone, we each have a different, specific role.

Born in Bahrain and moving to Germany and Hong Kong, before first living in the UK aged 6, it was evident that the military life of my parents would have some affect.

I loved taking photos; documenting the everyday, the seemingly mundane life of our family and our travels. My Father was always a keen photographer and we grew up waving at the silent cine cameras. Getting used to video was interesting with cries of: ‘You can talk you know!’

Joining the Army was an ‘itch I had to scratch’. I thought that it would give me a better understanding of how an army operates, where I should be to get the better photograph, who did I need to talk to so I could get to where I needed to be - all aimed at being a photographer.

Receiving a Commendation from General Sir David Richards

When I married an Army Officer in 1997, I was pretty sure there was nothing I didn't know about this new life I was about to enter into with my new husband. After all, I'd grown up as a 'pad brat' - the colloquial term for forces children - both my parents had served their country. My mother left when she married my father, as was required, in the 1960s.

In 2003 as the 1st United Kingdom Armoured Division, based in Herford Germany, was preparing for war, I was asked to step forward as a Reservist. With 2 young children and a husband about to deploy, I had to look at how I could serve my country. I realised I had a foot in both camps; an understanding of what it is like to prepare as a soldier and the uncertainties facing me as a wife and mother.

Bringing the needs of the families to the front of the agenda became my priority. My aim was to provide our families with the 'ground truth' of life on operations ahead of the stories in the media. It had never been done before; the focus was always on getting information to the media. Over a 10-year period the role became established as 'the norm' as operations evolved; growing to the point where there were small teams solely focused on information for families. This innovative work with military families was recognised with 2 Commander-in-Chief Commendations, one as a serving person and one as a civilian, and recognition by The Rifles Regiment.

Out on media jobs with the Army

Combining all of this, and learning so many more skills along the way, during my 30 years serving in the British Armed Forces has been a combination of triumphs, challenges and, at times, sadness; I still take great pride in discovering the hidden story behind the uniform.

Film is my next challenge. Transferring the skills of writing, photography and producing for short documentaries to the big screen is where I am headed. Based on: ‘Happiness is a journey, not a destination’ (Alfred D. Souza), I have passport in hand and am ready to travel!