When Vicky left Manchester High she was certain that she wanted to be an actress. Speech and Drama lessons, trips to Stratford and school plays had all persuaded her that she was making the right choice.

In the Sixth Form, she probably spent as much time at Manchester Grammar as she did here, participating in five plays. The frequency of her very important costume fittings, which always seemed to fall conveniently in her free periods, attracted a raised eyebrow from some of the more cynical teachers. However, after watching a documentary about Drama School, in which all the girls seemed to have to take their clothes off on stage, she decided first to head for the relative safety of university.

Vicky had a wonderful time at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, appearing in numerous plays and gaining a First Class degree in English Literature. She then spent a year at Birmingham School of Speech and Drama, emerging as a professional actress and, inevitably, part time waitress.

Stage roles at The West Yorkshire Playhouse and The Royal

Exchange followed as well as regular work in BBC Radio 4’s Afternoon Plays. More recently, she has worked in television,appearing in Jimmy McGovern's The Street, Coronation Street and Vincent.

Waitressing soon lost its appeal and Vicky now combines her acting career with work in education which she loves. She has worked all over the country and in Italy, runs a Youth Theatre in Didsbury and is now thrilled to be back at Manchester High teaching Speech and Drama.

She feels very lucky to be able to enjoy two parallel careers and, just in case, she gets bored, she is also studying for an MA at the Shakespeare Institute in Stratford.