Motorcycling has always been part of my life.
Both my dad and grandad rode motorcycles, although for some reason the biking gene completely skipped my older brother! I have fond memories of my grandad spending hours in his garage tinkering with old Nortons and Triumphs, and I suspect that's where my love of motorcycles began.
My first boyfriend had a bike and I often rode pillion, but it wasn't long before I wanted my own transport. Back in the 1980s, learning to ride a motorcycle was considerably cheaper and easier than learning to drive and running a car, so getting a bike seemed the obvious choice.
My first motorcycle was a Yamaha XT125, which I rode straight out of the dealership.
The motorcycle test was a little different back then. The first part involved riding around cones in a school playground, while the second part consisted of an examiner standing on a street corner telling you where to go. Looking back, I often wonder how many near misses happened when candidates disappeared around the block and completely out of sight!
As my confidence grew, so did my motorcycles. I progressed through a Honda CB350S, a Kawasaki GPZ500 and eventually a Suzuki GSX600F.
The Suzuki was my favourite.
Unfortunately, life had other plans.
In the early 1990s, I changed jobs, learned to drive, bought a house and gradually stopped riding altogether.
What I thought would be a temporary pause turned into a break of more than twenty years.
One of the best things I did during my early riding years was complete IAM Advanced Motorcycle training. Not only did it make me a better and safer rider, but it's also where I met my husband. His father was Chairman of the local IAM group and introduced us.
The training itself was invaluable. The observers provided excellent feedback and helped build my confidence enormously. The social side was fantastic too. Because the group met at Brands Hatch, we often enjoyed track days together, which were always great fun.
I would highly recommend advanced rider training to anyone, regardless of experience level.
Although I only managed a couple of trips abroad during those early years, including the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Belgian Grand Prix, I always dreamed of exploring more of Europe by motorcycle.
Life, however, has a habit of getting in the way.
Then, after around 23 years away from riding, something unexpected happened.
I discovered motorcycle travel channels on YouTube.
Watching riders such as Noraly Schoenmaker (Itchy Boots), Kinga Tanajewska (On Her Bike) and Vanessa Ruck (The Girl on a Bike) reignited something I'd almost forgotten.
The desire to ride never really disappeared.
I started getting itchy feet.
Eventually I decided it was time to get back in the saddle.
My return bike was a BMW G310R. It was the perfect motorcycle to ease me back into riding, although with hindsight I perhaps could have gone slightly bigger. After such a long break, my confidence wasn't quite where it had once been, and both the roads and driving standards felt very different from what I remembered.
To rebuild my confidence, I returned to IAM training and successfully passed my Advanced Motorcycle Test for a second time.
That achievement gave me a huge confidence boost.
From there, I moved on to a Triumph Trident 660, which turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. It's comfortable, capable of both short and long journeys and, importantly, it puts a smile on my face every time I ride it. In fact, I recently upgraded to the latest version of the same model.
Alongside the Trident, I also own a Yamaha XT500 and a Yamaha XT225 Serow.
After attending a few off-road training courses, I discovered just how much fun riding off-road can be. Now I just need to find more time to get out on the Serow and enjoy it.
These days, work means most of my riding takes place at weekends, preferably when the weather is good. Riding is simply more enjoyable when the sun is shining.
One of the best decisions I've made since returning to motorcycling was joining Curvy Riders. I've met so many like-minded women through my local group and there is always something happening, whether it's a ride-out, social gathering or event.
This summer I'm attending my first national Curvy Riders gathering, a three-day event bringing together members from all over the country, and I'm really looking forward to it.
I also enjoy visiting local bike nights, motorcycle shows and events such as Motorcycle Live at the NEC, The Bike Shed Show in London and the Adventure Bike Rider Festival in Warwickshire. The latter is always a highlight of the year.
For me, motorcycling is about much more than the bikes.
It's about exploring new places, meeting interesting people and sharing experiences with others who understand exactly why two wheels are so special.
And if there's one thing I've learned, it's that sometimes a passion can lie dormant for years.
But if it's truly part of who you are, it never really goes away.