The Jesuits say ‘give me a child until they are seven and I will show you the man’, or woman of course. When I was 7 I spent my time making up impossibly large families in ‘my famerley book’ (spelling was not a strong point). I also wrote long stories or played complicated, extended games of schools. Although I enjoyed ‘dressing up’, I hadn’t yet started donning period costume but most other aspects of my current life were there in embryonic form.Although I have, I hope, a reputation as an academic historian, I believe good history is for everyone. As The History Interpreter, my alter ego, Mistress Agnes, lives in the C17th, imparting information about life in the time of the English Civil War. My book Coffers, Clysters, Comfrey and Coifs: the lives of our C17th ancestors, emerged out of this experience. On occasions, I swap centuries and appear as a Victorian. I am passionate about encouraging young people to become interested in history, especially through living history or family history. My main focus is on social history and the daily lives of ordinary people, particularly women.I enjoy dissecting small, rural communities and trying to understand how they functioned in the past. In this respect, I study three North Devon villages and have written a book about how to conduct a One Place Study - Putting Your Ancestors in their Place. I am the Chair of the Society for One-Place Studies.I work closely with historical organisations in my home county of Devon and am leader of the North Devon group of Devon Family History Society. I am President of the Isle of Wight Family History Society. As historian for The Braund Family History Society I have immersed myself in the origins, genealogy and biography of this west country family and have written several books about them. I also undertake professional genealogical research.You can read about my chaotic historical life at http://thehistoryinterpreter.wordpress.com/ do click ‘follow’ if you want to keep up to date.