Sheelagh Aston
Biography
I thought about putting ‘award-winning poet’ on my homepage, but I am not sure winning a school poetry competition at nine years quite cuts the same as being shortlisted for a major writing award.
Sometimes, it has got me into trouble. During 6th form, I wrote a Christmas panto version of the TV show ‘It ain’t Half Hot Mum.’ with Frank Spencer making a cameo appearance. It was performed on the last day of term. I nearly got suspended. I am thankful my classmates did not reveal to Mother Superior who the author of the piece was, and Dad came to collect me early so I avoided being frog-marched to her office.
The youngest of four of an Irish mother and English father, I spent most of my childhood romping around the Berkshire countryside with either a dog or horse in tow. This may explain why animals, as well as humans, feature in my stories.
With failed A-Levels and a flunked secretarial course (not a good career choice for someone with undiagnosed dyslexia.) I realised my strength in working with people and became a community worker in the early 80s. For over 20 years, I worked for various organisations.
In 1996, I moved to the northeast to work for St John’s College/Crammer Hall, Durham, before training to become a vicar in 2005.
In December 2016, I crossed the Pennines to my current parish in the northwest.
In 2019 DIYSOS and hundreds of volunteers converted my church’s Parish Rooms into independent living accommodation for local charity homeless Nightsafe Blackburn with Darwen for BBC Children in Need.
Did I mention I am profoundly deaf in one ear and have severe loss of sight? Nope. Why? Because my disabilities might stop me from doing some things (like driving), but they do not define me. An attitude based upon a quote from Richard Bach’s book Illusions – ‘Argue for your limitations, and they are yours.’
When not ministering or writing, I love spending time with my two grown-up children, being taken for a walk in the countryside by my exuberant Labrador or quilting with the dog warming my feet as we listen to Lindisfarne or Siouxsie & the Banshees.
Sheelagh