Linda Gatto was born in Chesterfield more years ago than she cares to remember. She grew up in Whittington Moor, then Old Whittington and later in New Whittington all just north of the centre of Chesterfield. Schooled at St Helena High School for Girls in Chesterfield and then to London to Furzedown Teacher Training College. The move to London was to be permanent in so far as she has lived in the south of England ever since, working initially as a primary school teacher and latterly in the Combined County Court at Oxford.

You can take the girl out of Chesterfield but not Chesterfield out of the girl to use a phrase. Growing up in the 1950's she was warned off rag and bone men by her mother. It was a family story that a member of the Windle family (mother's maiden name) had been abducted and worse by such a person. These family stories are usually no more than myths but Linda's passion for historical research, based upon her degree subject, eventually unveiled the true and tragic story that is now "Rags to Bones". Working in the legal system for over ten years has added a dimension to the telling of the story.