Helen was born in West Cumbria and began playing the accordion, 6 months after her brother, when she was about 6 years old.

Initially she and her brother had lessons in Workington but in the 1970s both started having lessons at the Ronmar School of Music in Carlisle. It was during this period that they also attended the NAO competitions.

In the 1980s Helen stopped her lessons due to the importance of sitting school exams and furthering her education at the University of Leeds. Her brother was already in Leeds and it was through Ernest Kirkby that they both began playing folk music; Helen playing violin whilst her brother played accordion. Ernie organised tours to international folk festivals, in Western & Eastern Europe, accompanying Irish Dancers and Rapper Teams. After her brother graduated Helen played the accordion on further folk tours which saw her play in Czechoslovakia, Hungary, France and Turkey and even busking in Budapest, Paris and Vienna.

As a student and after graduating Helen played both accordion and violin for a variety of traditional dances including North East Clog, Grenoside and Morris and still occasionally plays in a ceilidh band.

Since 1987 Helen has been based in the Sale, Altrincham and Timperley area. She used to play at several folk clubs but then spent time raising a family. Now that the family has grown up, Helen has returned to serious accordion playing and is a regular guest artist at accordion festival and clubs in the UK; Leyland Accordion Club, North Staffs Accordion Club, Stockport Accordion Club and the Black Country Accordion Club.