Tricia is a retired Chartered Civil Engineer and a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, originally from the Yorkshire edge of Lancashire in north-west England, who worked in a variety of posts for British Rail, perhaps the most notable being Permanent Way Maintenance Engineer, West Highland, responsible for the maintenance and safety of the railway track from Hyndland to Helensburgh, Oban and Mallaig from 1990 until1994.
She decided to study civil engineering while attending a direct grant girls grammar school and after working for a year with a major firm of consultants in London, gained a BSc in Civil Engineering from the University of Southampton. Worked for the Department of Transport in the north-east and north-west of England on motorway and bypass bridge and road design and construction, becoming a Chartered Civil Engineer in 1978. In 1979 joined British Rail, gave birth to sons in 1981 and 1983, and in 1986 gained promotion to the Scottish Region of British Rail based in Glasgow. Became a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers in 2006 and from 2008 until 2012 worked for the Institution as a Membership Development Officer, encouraging people in the industry to gain professional accreditation. Since 2012 has developed a keen interest in the provision of good quality cycle infrastructure along with a good urban environment so that more of us can get on our bikes and ride or walk around our towns and cities.