In 1962, she attended Charsfield village school, later described in Ronald Blythe's book Akenfield, where she learned to sing folk songs.
At the age of 10 she was sent to a convent boarding school, St Stephen's College, Broadstairs, Kent, where she learned to play piano.
In 1990, she presented a six-part series on BBC Radio 1 called Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow on girl groups in popular music.
In 2007, she curated and contributed to Migrating Bird, a tribute album to the late Lal Waterson, released on Honest Jon's record label.
Her most recent play was a Radio 4 docu-drama to mark the 50th anniversary of the Profumo Scandal, entitled Well, He Would, Wouldn't He (2013), and featuring Mandy Rice-Davies.
I Sing of a Maiden, co-written with Rachel Trezise, was an exploration of folk song and young motherhood in the Welsh valleys (2008).