No. I went to a preparatory school - a private boarding-school
where the only things that mattered were sport and passing
exams. It was only when I was in my twenties that I began
to dream of being a writer. The idea of being able to earn
a living from writing seemed like a crazy dream (still does,
come to think of it).
I was mad about horses. In fact, my whole childhood revolved
around riding ponies - going to gymkhanas, show-jumping and hunting.
My ambition for quite an early age was to be an amateur jockey and
racing correspondent for a newspaper. There was man called
John Lawrence who combined these two things very
successfully, and he was my hero.
I did ride as an amateur jockey, and remained obsessed
by horse and racing until I was about 22. Then I realised
I wasn't winning enough races, was making myself ill when
I had to ride at a light weight (the lightest weight I rode at
was 9 stone 12lbs - that's dressed and with a saddle), and I
wasn't that interested in the world of racing.
I loved anything to do with animals. My favourites were White Fang, a
story about a wolf by the Canadian writer Jack London, and Dodie Smith's
The Hundred and One Dalmations.
Ponies, dogs, a few cats, a chinchilla and a rabbit called Bunter. My brother Philip
had a rat called Whiskers.
11th March 1983. That was day when I left my job in book publishing to become a writer. I had had what is technically known as 'a career freak-out' - that is, I had suddenly realized that a life of working in an office, going to meetings and having lunches stretched before me. I had started writing short stories in the early morning before I went to work, and that was when I felt happiest at work. So I took the plunge.
I had written a picture book called If I Could Work and was trying to write another one. I had the idea for a book called Miss Heccatty and Class Five, a story where a witch came to a school. The publisher didn't think the story worked as a picture book but suggested that I might like to write for older children. As soon as I started what would eventually become Ms Wiz Spells Trouble, I began to enjoy myself.
While I was writing that first book, my daughter Alice came home from school and told me she had just read a book about a Miss Heccatty, and so I would have to think up another name for my book. I think I started with the Ms part - my witch was a very modern-minded person - and it took off from there.
I always used to say she wasn't but that was not entirely 100% true. She was based on a friend of mine but I wouldn't dream of revealing her name.
I have a very soft spot for Herbert, Ms Wiz's magic rat. He may be a bit of snob but he makes me laugh. The story in which he falls in love Ms Wiz Smells a Rat is one of my favourites. I also really like Podge Harris.
To my astonishment, Ms Wiz Rocks, which was published in July 2009, was the 18th Ms Wiz story. She has retired several times - after Ms Wiz Banned!, Ms Wiz Loves Dracula and The Secret Life of Ms Wiz - but every time I think I have written my last Ms Wiz story, she comes back and asks for another story to be written about her.
I have been surprised how she has changed over time. She has become much more complicated with every story - and not necessarily nicer. I think she's a very interesting and psychologically complex paranormal operative.