Cigarette in one hand*, notebook and pen in the other and a pint perched nearby, Catherine is often to be seen tramping round pubs, clubs and gigs in the capital and beyond.

Although always a music fan, a distinct lack of talent (and just a touch of shame) prevented a full scale musical assault on an unsuspecting world. Instead, she spent her formulative years in some of north Lancashire's less salubrious spots watching friends strut and sing on stage, occasionally shifting the odd amp here and there. Now the only thing she lifts is a lager - and spirits, of course.

She drifted slowly south with spells in Sheffield, Nottingham and Brighton, before settling in Reading and a career in journalism. She's currently living in London, loving big city life - but loathing the public transport – and juggling all too early mornings with late, late nights.

(* Giving up, again...)