Diana Landon for St John's and Hook Heath

I am Diana Landon and I am standing as the Liberal Democrat candidate in St John's and Hook Heath in the local elections.

I was brought up in Woking during the war (the second one) and lived in Westfield near the cricket pitch. I went to Westfield Infants and Junior schools (three years behind John Kingsbury.)

When I was 12 my father rejoined the Army and, with my siblings, I was taken to live in Egypt for three and half years. On my return, I finished school at 16 and started student nurse training at the Rowley Bristow Orthopaedic Hospital at 17. I went on to do my General Nurse training at Charing Cross Hospital in the Strand, qualifying as SRN, ONC in 1959. I married in 1961 at St John's church while working as a Staff Nurse at the Rowley B and living with my family at St James' House in St Johns Road. I moved to London with my husband, a Bow Street policeman.

I had 3 daughters between 1961 and 1965 and returned to work as a Staff Nurse in Croydon, later becoming a Sister for some years. I was made a Regional Officer for the Royal College of Nursing in 1977, for an area covering Surrey, West Sussex and South West London. I retired from that post in 1998 and returned to Woking, which I have always regarded as 'home'. It was a good move and I love living here.

I was elected to Woking Borough Council in May 2000 and served as a councillor for Goldsworth West for six years. I was vice-chair of the Planning Committee for five years. I learned a great deal in those years. Now I feel ready to re enter Politics and am proud to put my name forward for St John's and Hook Heath.