Emma is a cupcake baker living in the Midlands. She is also a vintage tea party hostess extraordinaire, a writer and a connoiseur of body art. She also loves rock and roll.
Swadders: What is your earliest memory ?
Emma Berry: Living with my Nan in Ealing and going to the butchers for sausages. I would have been about 2.
Swadders: A lovely memory. Are you still a visitor of butchers or did the experience turn you into a vegetarian ?
EB: Good question. I'm a meat eater of sorts but keep it to a minimum... But when I do eat meat, I like to support local butchers.
Swadders: As a small child my grandmama lived in Brixton, South London. I would follow her trail to the Butchers every saturday for a customary sausage roll.
EB: And why not ? Grandmama's know best when it comes to the procurement if meat... Obviously !
Swadders: I think that's why my grandpapa married her. Anyway back to you. Ealing ? A good place to grow up ?
EB: Perhaps ... I wasn't in Ealing for long, we moved to Somerset when I was 3. Which was a nice place to grow up.
Swadders: How splendid. May I ask which part ?
EB: You may. It was Taunton. Not a nice reputation but undeserved I think, there is some good to be had there.
Swadders: I once stopped there for coffee on the way back from St.Ives. So you grew up hoping to be ... ?
EB: Various things but the one thing that never changed was the desire to be an author.
Swadders: What was the first subject you wrote about with passion ?
EB: Weirdly, I wrote a poem about a ghost aged six. I was morbidly obsessed with the paranormal as a child.
Swadders: That's unusual . Are you still interested in that genre of writing ?
EB: Not so much. Still interested but not for writing. Though I like to think there is always a sense of macabre in what I write.
Swadders: So tell me. Are you a published writer ? Do you have a full time job ?
EB: I am as yet unpublished! But hope to change that soon. I do work full time as a manager for Whittard. Amongst other things.
Swadders: Is that what brought you to Nottingham.
EB: It is not. Being a total girl I moved for love. Fell in love with a Midlands boy.
Swadders: Ah its that ole devil called love again :-) . Do you have tattoos ? I see you are interested in body art.
EB: Gets you everytime. Don't it ? Yes I do, I have 3 and counting. 2 dice on my wrist, an angel on my shoulder and script on my back.
Swadders: Do you plan to have more ? Where do you host your vintage tea parties ?
EB: I do. I have many many ideas for more. I host them ( the tea parties) wherever people want them, homes, events, fairs, gigs. Im versatile.
Swadders: I sense you are a great hostess. If you could re-locate to any part of the country/world where would it be ?
EB: Why thank you. Let the public decide. It would either be Paris or Berlin or somewhere picturesque like a cottage in the peaks.
Swadders: What sort of music do you listen to ?
EB: A huge variety. I'm a bit of a heavy indie/rock girl at heart but I love all types. Right from musical soundtracks to metal.
Swadders: Do you like Imelda May ?
EB: Yes she's always good when I'm in a swinging rockabilly mood.
Swadders: What's your favourite musical ? Would you like to star in one or write one ?
EB: it's got to be either Miss Saigon or Les Mis... Not forgetting Cabaret. I think I'd be in one over writing one.
Swadders: Fabulous. What would be your ideal film role ? Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tifannys ? Raquel Welch in 1,000,000 years BC ?
EB: hmm good question! I would perhaps go for Liza in Cabaret or Audrey in Breakfast at Tiffany's. So many choices though.
EB: I'm enjoying it. How about you ?
Swadders: Yes I'm enjoying it very much.
EB: No pets. Had a lovely family cat for 13 years who sadly passed this year ... Don't think I will replace him. Do you ?
Swadders: I had tropical fish up until recently and I had cats as a whippersnapper. What's your favourite part of Nottingham ?
EB: Tropical fish. Very cool. I think it would have to be Broad Street in Hockley or the Arboretum, beautiful scenery.
Swadders: I know neither of those places, I will have to Google them. What's your claim to fame ?
EB: Hmmmm interesting... Well I've performed at the Royal Albert Hall where Jacko ( Michael Jackson) was said to have been in the audience.
Swadders: So he may have seen you perform. Surreal. If you won an award, of any kind, who would you like to present it to you ?
Swadders: Emma ..... Thank You.