The City’s abiding memory of Debbie Moore is the sight of her in a short ra–ra skirt standing on the floor of the London Stock Exchange, surrounded by starchy City types. It was November 1982 and Debbie had just taken her Pineapple dance studio business public. Mouths were agape at the first woman allowed to walk on the trading floor.

Her early life was less spectacular. Debbie, the daughter of a plumber and a clerk, was born in Manchester. She left school at 15 and went on a secretarial course. While there she entered a magazine modelling competition and was offered modelling work by Courtaulds at £5,000 a year.

Modelling brought her into contact with Cliff Richard, George Best, David Bailey and others, and she became the face of Revlon.

She started Pineapple as a dance studio in 1979 – in an old pineapple warehouse in London. Soon the business expanded into producing dance wear and three years after formation it went public.

By 1988 Debbie had become worried that the shareholders were too concerned with profit and she bought her company back again.

The main Pineapple studios are now often used for rehearsals by dancers in West End shows and the clothing range sells all over the country.

Debbie says her secret is that she loves every minute of her work.