I believe stories have been with me since birth.

I was born in the front downstairs room of my parents house in South London. The mystery surrounding my birth was the fact I was in a complete Caul. My mother who was a midwife instructed my father on how to break the caul so I could burst  into the world. My mother was a country women (Suffolk born) and her father a gypsy. She was very wise and a great healer. She knew that the caul was significant. It signified I would never drown at sea. My naval uncle stated how sailors often bought cauls and tied them in leather bags around their necks in the hope they would not drown. Life would always be slightly different for me and she was never surprised when teachers said, I was always day dreaming, never really in the present.

I arrived after the second world war but bomb sites had not been cleared away in London. They were my play ground areas along with all the history that London had to offer. The Cutty Sark at Greenwich was a great favourite of mine, and I always wanted to be a highway man at Blackheath or Robin Hood in the great forests. I was surrounded by wonderful Aunts (all survivors of the war). They told me stories  and took me to musical extravaganzas, shows on ice and London theatres.

My earliest memory was lying in my pram watching the leaves of the trees dance in the sunlight. My school life was blessed  with wonderful teachers who read me poetry at primary school and stories. I went at the age of eleven to Secondary school and saw plays, read Greek myths and more poetry. I had the chance to be taught by Dorothy Heathcote creator of the green Mantle. She pioneered Drama in Education for us poor cockney children. I always wanted to be able to teach like her. I  studied theatre and drama all through high school, and when we had lots of overseas students we were asked to peer teach English. I was fascinated at how people learnt to read. This became a passion and led me to become a teacher of drama and Literacy.

I have continued this career over thirty years in  the United Kingdom and New Zealand. I have written numerous plays for community groups School Productions and individual classes. Stories flow all the time and can be found in my CD’s, and performances. 

Lesley ‘Two Hats’ is one of New Zealand’s outstanding storytellers.

A background in drama and literacy, which has spanned 30 years across ages from 0 – 100 has provided her with a wealth of knowledge and expertise, which she freely shares around the world.

An international storyteller Lesley has performed and presented numerous workshops for schools libraries business organisations, charities and family gatherings.

There have been wacky tales, funny tales, mysterious tales, her own fairy tale community tales for rural and city people and multi-cultural tales.

Her performances can be wildly funny one minute and thought provoking the next.