A PROUD Sidmouth man has spoken of his daughter s determination in following her singing/songwriting dream. Tony Fletcher, of Woolbrook Road, says his daughter, Angela, 43, despite contending with a full-time job and looking after two young children, has

A PROUD Sidmouth man has spoken of his daughter's determination in following her singing/songwriting dream.

Tony Fletcher, of Woolbrook Road, says his daughter, Angela, 43, despite contending with a full-time job and looking after two young children, has shown such ambition that she is now looking forward to releasing a six-track album.

Angela has collaborated with renowned producer Martin Colley, who has worked with many famous people over the years including John Peel and Mark Goodyear.

She plans to release the album, entitled 'Getting Late', in October.

Tony, 76, who is well-known in Sidmouth for driving Bruno, his stuffed smoking dog around town, said: "I'm very proud. Angela has done a lot in her life. She's a go-ahead type of person and when she puts her mind to something she won't give up."

Angela, who works as an online computing lecturer from her Farringdon home, has appeared on BBC Radio Kent, Exeter FM and on Tuesday was a guest of Richard Green on his BBC Radio Devon show.

But for someone so determined she only started writing songs in 1998.

She said: "I always worked in offices or something similar but I never felt like I was reaching my full potential. I'm quite shy and I had to read self-help books which made me so much more positive about everything. I thought to myself 'why on earth am I not singing?'"

After overcoming her shyness Angela, who lives with her partner and soundman Jonathan, formed a five-piece-band and during this period she realised how much she enjoyed performing.

The band dissolved and she then gigged and recorded as part of a duet before she took a break and had two daughters, Hannah, two, and eight-month-old Emma.

But Angela, who also trained as a counsellor, decided to resurrect her singing aspirations this year and recorded the new album.

She hopes other women will lead by her example and her message is: "It's never too late to follow your dream."

Dad Tony added: "I wish her a lot of luck- if that's what she wants to do then I say go for it!"

* To find out more about Angela and to listen to her music, visit www.angelafletchermusic.com.