I was born in Harold Wood and grew up in the town of Brentwood, Essex. I developed a passion for history from an early age, inspired in large part by my father and grandfather who collected antique motorcar prints and rare musical recordings, each of which reflect vibrant and interesting histories of their own.

I spent my undergraduate years (2005-9) in Colchester at The University of Essex reading History and Modern Languages. It was here that, under the supervision of Professor John Walter and Dr. Amanda Flather, the complex and fascinating world of the English alehouse was first brought to my attention. As part of the undergraduate course, I was also fortunate to spend a year abroad (2007-8) in Lyon where I studied history at L'Université Jean Moulin (Lyon III).

I moved to The University of Warwick in 2009 and recently completed my MA dissertation on Women, Drink and Agency in Early Modern England and France, a comparative project inspired by my undergraduate and postgraduate mentors as well as my time spent in France. I was jointly awarded the Sir John Elliot Prize for most outstanding MA performance for this year. With the academic and intellectual guidance of Professor Beat Kümin and Dr. Penny Roberts and the financial backing of the AHRC, I began my doctorate in October 2010 and am currently working towards a thesis entitled Comparative Drinking Cultures: Early Modern Bristol and Bordeaux. I am also a member of the Warwick Drinking Studies Network.

My extra-academic interests include sport (particularly racket sports, football and basketball), music, cooking and photography (view a selection of my photos)