Budgie was born in Ireland. Her mother died when she was six and she and her four siblings were placed in an 'industrial school' (orphanage) till the age of 16. She came to the UK in 1972 and worked at Hammersmith Hospital in West London. She came to Coventry, where she still lives, in 1974. She worked as a medical secretary in a cancer unit. She is married with three sons. Budgie loves rock painting, knitting, cooking, recycling and writing. Nowadays she is unable to walk without crutches due to arthritis.