“I was born in Bracknell, went to school in Bracknell and grew up in Bracknell, and have always loved it so it has never really entered my head to live anywhere else than in Berkshire,” says Dani Harmer, star of Strictly Come Dancing and CBBC’s Tracy Beaker series.
“I think I started singing and dancing as soon as I could walk and talk,” says Dani, who went to Wildridings Primary School. But she had already embarked on her acting career by the time she was six. “My mother was a children’s casting agent but she was never pushy – she didn’t need to be – I just loved entertaining and when I went to Stagecoach drama lessons, I took to it like a duck to water.
“When I was six I was given the role of a four-year-old boy, which seemed a bit odd, but since it was in the West End and the boy was Tommy, it was really exciting and a fantastic experience. I wasn’t allowed to get carried away though. Winning a scholarship to the Redroofs Theatre School when I was seven was a big step. Quite a few well-known people went there, including Kate Winslet. It was brilliant because you had a normal school education, which led to me getting three GCSE passes which surprised me, but also you learned all aspects of drama, singing and dancing. It was great.”
Redroofs is in Maidenhead so Dani was still growing up in her favourite county.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 2020-Ausgabe von Berkshire Life.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der November 2020-Ausgabe von Berkshire Life.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
A Home For Keeps - Reader At Home
Alex and James Fielden were looking for a forever home. Their search ended as soon as they pulled up outside this Georgian property in Berkshire
Duke & Duchess Of Berkshire?
They are the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge but should they really be the Duke and Duchess of Berkshire, which is, of course, a Royal county?
A national hero
He started out like many other children born in Reading, but mention Justin Fletcher to any kid in the land these days and their eyes will light up
Fruitful thinking
Ryan Simpson believes the world is our orchard. A project that began over a pint in his local is making the county more fruity
THE BERKSHIRE BOMBSHELL
Berkshire has had more than its fair share of famous inhabitants. However, few had such an explosive reputation as Diana Dors
“I'll always be a Berkshire girl”
Despite her international acclaim as the star of TV’s Tracy Beaker, Dani Harmer has never strayed far from her roots
Remembering the fallen
The most destructive war in human history lasted for six years and cost 60 million lives, the majority non-combatants. It is easy to understand why those who had survived wanted to celebrate the end of that conflict
HIDDEN WONDERS
Berkshire photographer Matt Emmett has made it his mission to explore the forgotten architecture and heritage many people miss in their home towns
EXPLORING BERKSHIRE - Majestic Maidenhead
Rejuvenation and revival; two buzz words surrounding the biggest town in the Royal borough. With riverside views and a vibrant arts and dining out scene, this high-class town is well worth a look
A good grounding
Berkshire has some of the best homes in the land, so perhaps it is no coincidence that the nation’s favourite property guru went to school in Wokingham