“I went back o/s in ’78 and worked for Jimmy Edwards, the Comedian. While there I looked after a young man who was on all sorts of drugs. He’d almost lost the plot. I had to feed him. I used to teach gourmet Vegetarian cooking as I’ve been a Vegetarian almost all my life so I got him back into his health. I was also into organic gardening. I left there to fulfil a contract in Switzerland and unfortunately both my parents were killed in a car accident on the 26th April 1979 while I was away which was a devastating time in my life. I tried to work after that but emotionally I was shot. Eventually I went to work in a Steiner School in Sweden which was so good for me. It was on thousands of acres and they were totally self sufficient. I taught English for board and lodgings and I loved it. I spent a month in Denmark after that. I spoke Cantonese fluently and I was good with languages. (sings me a song in Mandarin which was gorgeous).
I was a very heavy smoker and in 1984 I was diagnosed with chronic Emphysema. I was toxic from head to toe and crippled with Arthritis. I used to fall out of bed and pull myself up by the back of a chair. I was not well. I smoked heavily and drank too much coffee. In those days I’d have coffee with 3 sugars and maybe 8-10 cups a day. When I think back I shudder. I had such a healthy diet except for the tobacco, the coffee and the sugar. They expected me to die and I was only 46. The specialist said… Do you want the bad news or the bad news because there’s no good news for you? I was earning $500 US dollars a week, with all my fairs and board paid for. One show alone I was paid $5000. I knew my craft and loved stripping. You know, I can still lie on my back and bring my feet over to the back of my head.
In 1989 I sold a beautiful house which we had built out at Tuntable and I went to live in the desert in South Australia. It took me 23 years but I totally healed my lungs of Emphysema. The doctors said it was impossible. I also got rid of the Arthritis. The most important herb for the lungs is Thyme. It’s wonderful. I also took liquid Oxygen, very, very weak doses of Wormwood and very deep breathing which I still practise religiously 15 mins a day. The dry climate with no humidity helped. I stayed from 1989 to 2002.
I fell in love 5 times in my life. I really loved one person but he killed that love through jealously. Another one I probably would have married but circumstances beyond our control pushed us apart. The other three I changed my mind at the last minute.
In 2009 I made my way back here and this is home. Having that vision in England is what brought me to this area. I love the way I live now. I have my veggie garden, my health is pretty good, my bones aren’t as good but I get my hot water bottle which helps. I love this area. I work now doing readings. I’m a Clairvoyant and I’m also doing a Podcast on Nimbin FM radio. My brother and I are very close and I live in a beautiful place. I love my chooks. I’ve been a Vegetarian since 1971 so my garden is a Godsend. After about 6 months of being a Vegetarian I thought…there’s something different about me, what is it? I couldn’t put my finger on it and then I realised, my body was carrying me around. I wasn’t carrying my body around. I felt light.
Growing up in a time when everything was illegal I think we made a much better go of life. I feel so many people now take everything for granted and we need to put a lot more into leading good lives. I’m not that impressed with society at the moment.”