Allyson was born upstairs in a village pub, in Pease Pottage, West Sussex, England in 1964. Born into the licensed victualler trade, she learnt about life from the characters she served from behind the bars, before embarking on her teacher training degree in the early 1990s. Once qualified, she became a full-time primary school teacher across West Sussex, Northamptonshire and Cambridgeshire. She became a Headteacher in 2008, leading three primary schools, including special educational needs centres. After moving to the East Yorkshire coast, in 2016, she moved into Further and Higher Education, leading departments including setting up a supported internship programme. She rounded up her career as a Quality Manager in Hull College before taking early retirement where she now enjoys life on the road, touring full-time in her motorhome, along with her husband Paul and their two feisty chihuahuas. She now has the time to dedicate to her own writing after nearly thirty years of supporting others to do the same.