The Hobbit, J.R. Tolkien

I suppose it was when I managed to get the casino to close down on the second day I got to Iran because I walked across the dessert from our house to the casino, in my HOT PANTS. No-one told me I was supposed to cover up!

Born in Bethnal Green, London, England. I am a cockney, just like Eliza Doolittle. I only went to school till I was 16. My education was travelling while I was young and living and working in places like Iran, Bahamas, and Portugal. I worked on the ships out of Miami, on a Kibbutz in Israel and eventually travelled to South Africa and worked at Sun City when it opened.
My worse teacher at school was an Indian English teacher. She often got verbally beat up by boys in our class because we could not understand a word she said. I felt sorry for her. Maybe that’s why my English is so bad. She was my teacher for three years.
My best teacher is my friend Dawn Murdoch Eaton who teachers me dance at the gym. She is so encouraging and vibrant and makes me feel good. She inspires me to be the best I can be which is NOT a dancer.  If only every teacher could do that; make you want to do the best you can.

My first boyfriend was Kevin McCarthy. I was 17 and I loved him dearly. So did my parents. He dumped me, said we were “too young”. I took a deep breath and decided I would grow up and he would meet me a year later and he would fall madly in love with me because I would be so sophisticated. I did meet him again on Christmas Eve. I looked great! So I went up to him and said “Hi Kevin, long time no see. What’s happening?” He said “Last week I got married”. Well as you can imagine I took another deep breath said I was so glad for him, and yes I have a serious boyfriend – in fact,  I was looking for him, so better be going. I left the pub and spent Christmas Eve crying in my bedroom.

Anyway, I had lots of jobs.  Jobs were easy to get in those days, especially when you have the gift of the gab (meaning I can tell a good story).  I worked in a building society, an employment agency where I found jobs for other people, and then one day I met a man named Steve who worked at Playboy. I started seeing him a lot and because he worked night shifts between 8pm and 4 am, he suggested I become a bunny girl waitress. I applied for the job and they said yes, but I would work as a croupier. So I began my Playboy career as a croupier.  I married Steve and told him my one regret was that I had not travelled as much as I would have like to, to which he replied “You want to travel? Well then let’s go”. And just like that, off we went to many casinos/countries and places I had never heard of. I experienced so many different cultures and I believe that it was a journey that made me the person I am today. No regrets.

My second husband, Rob, is the nicest person I know. He has no airs and graces; he finds pleasure in simple things like reading a newspaper, playing with the kids and the dogs, making sand castles and even washing up after supper. He also happens to make my knees go weak when he kisses me. What more could you want?

I have had 3 children Krystle, who is now 21 and studying at Rhodes University, Jade, who died when she was 2 years old and Shannon, my darling boy who is 16 and goes to Pretoria Boys High.

And that’s all, for now, on me.