Tonia Cope BowleyTonia is a freelance eclectic author who started writing stories for her mother before the age of ten. Her books include biography, children's fiction, self help and a technical work. One Man Three lives - The man who would never give up is her fourt published work. Up to tha age of 20 Tonia lived on a small farm in rolling hills near to Van Reenen, Orange Free State, South Africa. After gaining a B.Sc. degree in mathematics and geography at the University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, and a Secondary Teachers' Diploma from the University of Cape Town, she taught mathematics at secondary school level for six years before travelling to Norway. There she spent 13 months getting to know her grandmother's people and a semester studying Computer Programming at the University of the North in Tromsø. In 1973 she moved to Oxford, England, where she was a lecturer and researcher on the staff of the University of Oxford for 28 years. In the early stages of computers, she helped to develop Oxford's Computing Teaching Centre, teaching courses in programming tailored to several specific departments. From 1988 to 1995 she initiated and managed Oxford's Image Processing Centre, a research facility for staff and PhD students. She inspired the start of international collaborative research applying satellite remote sensing and image processing techniques to Urban Planning, with Durban, South Africa, as the case study. Tonia then became the Researcher and Advisor on Remote Sensing, Spatial Information and general computing in the School of Geography. Subsequently she initiated and led the ongoing OxTALENT Programme, promoting the use of modern technology in teaching and learning throughout the University of Oxford. In 2001 Tonia took medical retirement due to chronic RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury). Since then she has concentrated on writing. Tonia lives with her husband Stephen, and a couple of King Charles spaniels, in a cottage with a beautiful garden, overlooking fields and woods on the edge of an Oxfordshire village. In 1988 she and Stephen launched a charity, The Thembisa Trust. Over the last 28 years the Trust has raised about a third of a million pounds that has provided support and hope to grassroots projects in Southern Africa, some of which have become self sustaining. They have two adult sons. Read More Read Less