Hi!

I started as a mail clerk at the local Town Hall, kitchen assistant for a bit, lowly civil servant/slave for 5 months until I resigned before I was driven insane with boredom. Spent 5 years in Grounds Ops at London Gatwick Airport, spent 7 years in Darkest Africa first 2 as sort of PA to someone who turned out to be Gordon of Khartoum's great-nephew; remainder as Mother and "Memsahib" equivalent - learned how to cook, bake, sew, grow vegetables, survive resistant Malaria). Back in UK, impoverished and in emergency B&B, then moving from rented accomodation for 5 years with small children. Back to work as clerical assistant for Motor dealership; 2 years as Secretary to one of "World's leading Development Economists" resigned when I realised the "Emperor's new clothes syndrome" e.g., a question on nutrition from the UNDP revealed the alarming gaps in his knowledge (this is the scary bit) compared to my basic secondary school Home Economics - plus I was poorer than being on social!

Now, I've been a waitress most recently....but now have given it all up for a musical career, started singing at Christmas and running the only acoustic music club in this town of 100,000 ("sad but true") and wow! even did support for John Renbourn last night.

A great deal of peaks and troughs - but now that I am over 40 and still without a clearly defined career path and still on income support and no pension plan - I feel the most fulfilled and complete I've felt in my entire life.

God bless Mudcat and all who sail in her!!

Love, Hille x