Who's Who ?

[Paula]

Had a hated career as Sales and Marketing Manager, then Major Accounts Manager for an American Corporation Law Firm in London. Only perks were some long working spells in New York and California. Inbetween, investing in property in Uk and abroad, moved to Florida for a few years running a property rental and management business. Back to UK briefly then here, unfortunately still in property
While kids were young at school did a long spell in voluntary work, mainly with MIND, womens refuges, Homeless in London and Hospices. Certainly more gratifying than working with a bunch of obscenely overpaid arrogant american Lawyers, but of course it didn't pay nuffink.

[tjtops]

Did the link....see what you mean!!! I wonder if the idea of having the fab Dame Judy as Bond's boss was based on this remarkable lady???.....

My own background: horse-mad all my life; competed, bred, taught etc etc; erstwhile credit controller; (un)civil servant (Dept of Employment, wow); village postmistress; game farmer; bar owner (here, for my sins and thankfully for only 18 months!). Primarily, though, a writer/journalist, both in general press (edited a provincial newspaper in Lincolnshire) but mainly specialising in all things equestrian (was chief show reporter for a well known --ask Hugh Grant -- horsey magazine for 20-odd years and still write for it periodically); in general journalism, sub-editor, editor, news/feature writer.
Been here for almost 5 years, worked for one (cr*p) expat multi-edition newspaper for a year and founded/edited another short-lived one (short-lived thanks to the underhand efforts of my previous bosses!).
Now doing online proofreading/sub-editing (I can type properly when I have to, honest) for anything/anyone provided it's in English!

[katy]

[quote="chrissiehope"]it's amazing the things I forgot in my last post reading everyone else's has given my memory a kick start !

Yes I "conveniently" forgot a couple! Like a day working in Woolworths during break from Uni. 6 of us (all friends) started on the same day in order to save for a ski-ing holiday. I won't tell you which counter they put me on. 3 of us walked out the same day..awful place I also worked as an au pair near Segovia. Place called Los Naves del río Frío. I came away convinced I would never start a family. I did though, eventually

[Sadie]

Retail Management, Officer in RAF and of course a Mum and now lady of leisure with many hobbies.

[scampicat]

Here's me:

Various clerical/admin jobs until I became a stay-at-home-mum for five years.
Student.
Lollipop lady/dinner lady (although by this time I had my degree these jobs suited our family circumstances).
Administrative Assistant for my local Council
Town Planning Technician (General) for the same Council
Town Planning Technician (Enforcement) for the same Council
Gave up job and came to Spain in 2004.

Hubby:

Various and varied jobs including Firefighter (from which he was invalided out after two years) until he trained to be a Teacher at the age of 30.
Secondary School Teacher until he took early retirement in 2004 at the age of 55.

[mhic]

Left school at 15 with little or no education but with the knowledge that most teachers were thugs or pedo's especially the Welsh and Orange one's. The youth employment officer told the boy's between drags on his cigarette that we were factory and cannon fodder and advised the girls to look for work at Woolworths.

I was apprenticed into the rag trade as a cutter where amongst other things I learnt to curse in Yiddish from one of the most important teachers in my life, anyone remember Kelly and Cohen? Also learnt my trade well enough to have my own cutting room and two assistants by the time I was twenty two.

Gave up the rag trade, to many days off due to slack periods and by this time I had wife kids and mortgage. Sewing machine mechanic bakers roundsman worked at Fords for a few weeks. Fell into a job with a big confectionary company where I was more or less my own boss great firm and a great job so when I was retired in 79' after some health problems and stuck on a company disability pension I was not amused. I had a market stall for a while did odds and ends for a friends interior design and furniture import company where my wife worked for thirty years. But mostly for the twelve years before we moved out here I was busy working on Koi ponds and buying and selling koi and equipment. Really enjoyed my hobby and to earn a living from it was icing on the cake.

Mhic.

[Lavanda]

Saturday girl in Tesco; college; designer of teaching aids for use by secondary school teachers; graphic designer with part-time work in private pharmacy; graphic designer with part-time work in Boots; manager of photo-lab; university; marketing executive for city newspaper; college lecturer in graphic design; bookseller for Waterstones in Harrods; visitor services at the National Portrait Gallery, London; olive farmer ...

[oliveview01]

Banking (with another B), Mum, Post Office Assistant (really boring), Pharmacy Assistant, Craft Shop Assistant (so quiet in the shop it was deadly boring) Teaching Assistant, Technician (food/textiles dept at school)

[geegee]

Bit of a split personality career balancing between the lofty arts and practical building construction:

Interior architect/designer - emphasis on commercial and public arts projects and building technology
Curator and exhibitions organiser for the royal observatories
Museum designer (exhibitions, shops and cafes)
Curator of a film museum
Gallery manager
Construction contract management
Strategic planner for major museum - architectural planning, landscaping and building remodelling
Designing environments for people with disabilities and conducting access audits
QS on a construction site for a nuclear power plant.

Came to spain to live a more rural life, become an organic gardener and develop an eco-tourism project - all projects 'in development' shall we say!

[Lavanda]

Interesting this. Same places of work pop up a few times as do same career paths and professions. Is there a ex-pat in Spain 'type' or is there an a.com 'type'?

[annie_d]

I am a Nursing Sister on a mental health unit for "people with very challenging behaviour" ( Ahem)

[Julie]

You will be fine here with us then Annie

[rix]

Student

[Zofia]

Not many here. Apart from student jobs (the usual waitressing etc) spent 20 years as an EFL teacher (with a breaks for childrearing!). Was a farmer's wife too. Last 4 years I've worked from home for a women's website. looking after forums and a bit of writing etc. Still doing it here.

OH is a freelance TV editor and has been for over 25 years.

[geo]

trainee sales manager, concrete finisher, profile burner, riveter, steel erector, owned a transport company, architectural metalwork, offshore rig mechanic and keeper of a lady of leisure with lots of hobbies

[Wicksey]

In the 70s I found it easy to walk in and out of jobs so had about 11 different ones before I started my 'proper' career in the civil service in 1981. I worked in a pet shop, chemist (where I caught glandular fever and ended up in bed for what seemed like months!), moved into dental nursing then receptionist then trainee dental technician, then sales rep, garage forecourt attendant, telesales for Walls ice cream (including free icecreams!!) .... hmmmm, I think that was about it before I finally settled down. Within the civil service I worked in numerous offices and got a couple of promotions which moved me around. In the middle of it all I took 4 years off to become a mature student and gain a degree, then I 'retired' at 42 and came to live here in 2000. Have done some rental things, looked after people's villas and gardens for a while, helped others out with a bit of cleaning and stuff here and there. Did a 'Property Ladder' job on a French farmouse for a couple of years recently too.

It seems that most of us have had a varied career path over the years. Variety is the spice of life ... and all that .... I get bored easily and always felt the need to keep moving onto different jobs.

[keddyboy]

Left school, went to University where I met some now famous musicians. Played drums in famous 60s pop group now living off royalties!!! Give you a clue, Animals????

[Paula]

What, for real Keddyboy? Wow a famous A.com member, they were one of my bruvvers favourite groups Why on earth did I have you down as an ex "copper"

[Chrissie]

Wow keddyboy! I'm really impressed! _ are you John Steel by any chance?

[mirandamac]

One of my fav 60's groups too.