About me

Telephone: 07891 718211 or email: sheridan.atishoo@gmail.com

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

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!

Mike and I were both members of the dating website Match at the end of 2007. We liked each other's profiles, but didn't meet, because Mike thought I lived too far away. There was another guy I'd met via Match who I liked chatting to, but I didn't feel any chemistry with him. By coincidence, it turned out that he worked in the same office as Mike, and he was persistent in his efforts to encourage us to meet. In the end, Mike and I went on a date - and it went really well. Our second date in January 2008 sealed the deal. Mike hadn't long been widowed, so he wasn't looking for anything permanent, but our relationship felt so right that we were soon committed to each other. I was worried about rushing into things, but Mike said that he'd learned two things from losing his wife - that he had love to give and nobody to give it to until he met me, and that life is too short to wait. Later that year we bought a huge derelict house and moved in with our ten children. It was quite an adventure!

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 as an independent photographer, and other freelance estate agency services via a company called Viewber. I am no longer a regulated estate agent, so I am not able 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 my local cemetery, where I am a Find a Grave volunteer. The 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, responding to photo requests, and plotting the locations with GPS; I identify unmarked grave sites where possible; and 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 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!