Val has a degree in Applied Biology, specialising in biochemistry. She currently works three days a week in the Cambridge University Cardiac Epidemiology Unit. As well as previous experience in scientific publishing and promotions, she has many interests, not surprisingly, allied to her field of biology.
She enjoys gardening and has a large, wild garden 
with chickens, no ducks at the moment (thanks Mr
Fox) and Sebastopol geese.
Val has kept bees in the past, her late father was a keen and active beekeeper, and Val has been publicity secretary for The National Honey Show for the last 15 years. The show is the culmination of the beekeeping year with a stunning array of exhibits, a vibrant trade hall and very popular programme of lectures and workshops. This year will be the show's centenary, a hundred years since the first National Honey Show held at the Crystal Palace in 1923. Unfortunately the Crystal Palace burnt down a few weeks after our 1936 show. Our current venue is Sandown Park Racecourse, Esher, Surrey.
Together with colleagues including experts from the show's video team, Val plans to increase the show's social media presence. So as well as videos of the show's lecture programme, live videos of various aspects of the show more of these will now be an integral part of the programme for future shows.
Val teamed up with Claire, one of our exhibitors at the show for the last 5 or 6 years and they are producing and will be launching their children's book "Izzie Lizzie Busy Bee" contributing to the events celebrating this year's centenary.
Val's father had been a supporter and volunteer at the National Honey Show for many years, and each of his books had been launched at the show, as will "Izzie Lizzie Busy Bee" in October.