Mavis Curtis spent her career in primary teaching and social work and is now retired. She has a PhD from the University of Sheffield and has contributed to numerous books, journals and magazines, including The Lore of the Playground (Random House), a social history of children's games. During research on the WI in 2012 for the Oxford Times, she was overwhelmed by the friendliness of the people she met. She is now a new and very enthusiastic recruit. She lives in Oxfordshire.
