Viv is the daughter of the late William Weldon Parkes, a Master Mariner.Her maternal grandmother Anne Parkes was an accomplished pianist born of farming stock with the Weldons of Sedgefield and the MacLeans of Mull in her pedigree.

Viv and sister Jennifer with Kim, their first Collie -

Anne's mother Annie Weldon,nee MacLean, died during the First World War. At the time she was reputed to be the only female civilian to be given a full military funeral in recognition of her fund raising efforts.Both she and her brother Kenneth left Mull when they were children with their widowed mother who eventually married the steward on the Zetland Estate in Yorkshire.

20th century Shepherdess, Viv and brace of dogs -

Through the TV series One Man and His Dog millions of people have been introduced to the ancient craft of shepherding and thus become aware of the extraordinary relationship which exists between shepherd and sheepdog

Viv competed in the TV programme in 1982 with her faithful collie Garry following their appearance at the Blair Atholl International Trial.

Since then she has travelled extensively in Europe and America to both judge and give training advice.

In 1990 she represented Scotland again at International level, in the Brace class with her beloved Holly and Holly's son Glen.

Viv is an accomplished writer and draws upon real life and her own experience to bring character and a tangible sense of optimism to her stories that inevitably feature sheep and sheepdogs - her main passions.

She has written four books to date and is at present completing a fifth. Their titles are as follows.

ONE WOMAN AND HER DOG

THE SHEPHERD'S WIFE

TWEEDHOPE SHEEP DOGS

WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK.

SOON TO BE COMPLETED

'THERE'S MORE TO SHEEP THAN MUTTON'