Were you encouraged and inspired at school ? Home?

I went to an all- girls grammar school in Stockport, leaving in 1959. I hated school as the teachers had no idea how to deal with working class girls. The teaching methods were fossilised; only last year I was in contact with my old English teacher who to,d me it was the worse school she ever taught in. I had to leave at 16 to get a job as I came from a single parent family and my father didn’t give a damn about supporting the family he deserted. I was fortunate enough to get a job as a trainee technician at a prestigious university. Just before I left I was sent on an errand to the ghastly headmistress. I have never forgotten her comment: “ Here comes the new technician for the university” in a sarcastic tone. She neither congratulated me on getting the job nor wished me good luck. Apparently the only pupils she was interested in were those staying on to the sixth form. Her nasty attitude schooled the way I dealt with students when many years later I became a teacher myself. I made sure to see the value in every one and to encourage them to reach their potential.

My working class family always encouraged me to do well at school as a means of getting out of the council house system. Dad taught me to read and count before I went to school (no pre-schools then) and was over the moon when I passed for the grammar. I ended up at teacher training college and was the first in the family to ever own a house.

I always intended to play professional violin - fancied orchestral playing. My careers advice was to become a librarian (school were concerned that I should get out of my somewhat restrictive family and become independent. The school asked what I would do if I didn't get into music college, which had never crossed my mind - I knew I would), so instead of saying librarianship, I said I guessed I'd go into teaching. Because teacher training applications had to be submitted almost at once, I applied and was accepted by my first choice college, but caught sight of the school reference which said they didn't think I was cut out for teaching and they'd always seen my as a librarian. At the end of the first 2 years, I left college, hating teaching, and went to music college, where I took a teaching diploma and enjoyed teaching violin until I moved into admin. Spent two years working in a specialist library and then Civil Service for next 10 years before finally being senior PA/administrator/book-keeper and running my own admin company. Perhaps I would have been happier working as an ordinary librarian, but although never been rich, have enjoyed my career overall and still enjoy music, playing keyboards for local choir and teaching myself flute and sax, as due to severe arthritis no longer able to play violin.