Born in Belfast, and brought up in a community steeped in history, it isn't surprising that a childhood interest became a lifelong passion. Carol Dixon-Smith taught history at secondary level before going on to research the subject for academic purposes. She has been a full-time Bookseller and Events Manager for many years, is the founder and Director of the Thames Valley History Festival, and is an active member of the Windsor Local History Group as well as Editor of their journal 'Windlesora'. Catherine has a BA in History and Archaeology, an MA in Local History, enjoying focusing on the development of towns and cities and the social and economic effects on people, their occupations and social mobility. She has also conducted wide-ranging research in Family History. Having been employed in both curatorial and education roles in museums, Catherine has given many talks over the years on topics related to her work and research.