About me

Hello! I'm Sheridan Parsons. I live with my husband Mike and my youngest son, by Glascote Locks in Tamworth. Fun fact: we're 9 miles from the UK's furthest point from the sea, and 13 miles from England's centre of gravity!

Want to stay in touch? Check out my Linktree!

I'm a bit quirky, in fact I'm quite public about the fact that I probably have Asperger’s, although I’ve never been officially diagnosed. Far from being a disadvantage, it gives me selective hyperfocus, excellent research skills, and a straight talking, honest approach, which some people find quite refreshing, although I'm sure that others find me a bit annoying!

Books

My books include: a narrowboat log book; my mother's memoirs; a series of history books about Wootton Bassett; and a family history record book. My husband has written two canal themed murder mysteries. You'll find them all here. I am currently working on a history of the teasmade.

Estate agency services

I provide 360 photography, viewings, floor plans, inspection reports, photos, and other freelance estate agency services independently and via a company called Viewber. I am also training to do EPCs. I am not regulated as an estate agent, so I am unable to introduce or negotiate, and I cannot deal directly with your solicitor, broker, or lender.

Teasmades

I'm considered to be the world expert on the history of teasmades and I used to have the world's largest collection of teasmades (172 of them). I run the biggest teasmade collectors' and enthusiasts' resource on the internet: www.teasmade.uk. I have appeared on TV several times talking about teasmades, most famously in Wallace and Gromit's World of Invention! I'm currently publishing a book about the history of teasmades and digitising all my instruction manuals.

Find a Grave volunteering

I enjoy exploring cemeteries, and I'm a Find a Grave volunteer. My local cemetery sits right next to the Coventry Canal, so it's just a short walk up the towpath from our house.  I take photos of the graves, respond to photo requests, and plot the locations with GPS; I identify unmarked grave sites where possible; and sometimes I research the stories of those who are buried in the graveyard.

Genealogy, house history, and archives

I am an experienced and qualified local historian, house historian, and genealogist, with a particular interest in canal heritage and WW1. I have researched literally hundreds of houses and families. I sometimes do family tree commissions too!

I have a Post Graduate Diploma in Local and Family History which included the following modules:

• Skills And Sources for Family And Local History In England
• House History
• The Theory and Context of Recordkeeping
• Archive Management Principles And Practice
• English Palaeography And Diplomatic
• Public History
• Oral History

I am proud that my previous experience includes working on several contracts for the Royal Voluntary Service Archives. My work included:

• Metatagging thousands of archive images using Adobe Lightroom, correcting cataloguing errors, and writing a guide for my successor.
• Digitising over 7,000 narrative reports.
• Selecting archive content for a high profile national fundraising campaign, and obtaining clearances from copyright holders.
• Answering internal and external enquiries, accessioning and appraising new material, cataloguing using CALM, and more.
• Social media management, increasing Twitter followers from 72 to over 1800.
• Filming a 'behind the scenes' video.

Teaching English as a Foreign Language

I am qualified to teach English for OET exam preparation for international nurses. I have the following qualifications:

• Diploma in TEFL / TESOL Level 5
• Advanced Certificate in TEFL - Exam Preparation
• Advanced Certificate in TEFL - IELTS Exam Preparation Course
• Advanced Certificate in TEFL - Online Teaching
• RSA Cert TEFLA (Cambridge)

Other qualifications

• BA Hons Social Psychology
• Suzuki Violin Teacher
• Shoe Fitter

Canal volunteering

I'm well known for my passion for canals and canalside property. I used to volunteer as a 'greeter' on The Admiral, the Canal and River Trust's widebeam boat, moored at Caen Hill Locks in Devizes. Here in Tamworth, I have volunteered with the local Towpath Taskforce. I'm pretty handy with a windlass, a litter picker, or a paintbrush!