Living above my parents’ newsagent shop in Warwick (cool with the free sweets and comics) and attending Newburgh Junior School.
1971
11+ test: Tough, slightly weird tests designed to sort the wheat from the chaff. The prize was choice of several grammar schools in the area.
September: Started at Leamington College for girls as one of less than a dozen from my junior school.
Like most pre-teens, my bedroom walls were plastered with posters of teen idols like Donny Osmond and David Cassidy. I vividly remember factions in the playground – you were either Osmonds or Jacksons, and through them, I discovered Soul.
September: Second year at LCG – got the choice of Latin or German, and because I was firmly set on the idea of being a doctor, I chose Latin, to help with some of the names of diseases and the like.
1973
Although I’d been a big fan of music, this was the year it definitely took off for me in a big way with my top five including Stevie Wonder’s Living for the City, Wings’ Live And Let Die, Thin Lizzy’s Whiskey In The Jar, Ike & Tina Turner’s Nutbush City Limits and David Bowie’s Life on Mars. Soul gave way to Rock with a healthy dose of glam rockers like Slade and Sweet. Mott the Hoople, Manfred Man’s Earth Band, ELO and Wizzard also figured high in my favourites. I got a spherical portable radio which I used to listen to the chart rundown on Tuesday lunchtime. hiding among the coats in the cloakroom.
1974
The 3rd year ended with me winning a prize for “the most improved student” in my class. It really helped that my form tutor (the extremely strict and scary Mr Williams) was also my maths teacher, and I got 98% on the end-of-year exam. Damn those 2 marks I lost!
September: Start of the O-levels, and once I’d chosen all 3 sciences, the schedule left me with no options to do anything vaguely arty or humanities so, on the grounds I’d been cooking for the family for several years so it should be fairly straightforward, I picked Domestic Science (aka cookery, or food tech as its now known). This turned out to be the antithesis of light relief, with easily as much homework as any of the sciences.
Music-wise, Queen released Seven Seas of Rye and a new era was born. At 14, I was finally allowed to go to the Saturday evening disco in my friend’s village hall and it felt so-oo glamorous and exciting. Glam Rock was still around, but for me this was when the soul stuff I loved started turning into disco.
Helen Reddy's weirdly wonderful Angie Baby became an anthemic sing for lonely, teenage me, Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody – a real game changer.
June: Snow reported in East Anglia and the Midlands, penetrating as far south as the London area. The first time since 1888 that snow and sleet had been reported as widely so far south during the summer.
1976
Summer: O-levels - sat during the hottest temperatures for decades - we were provided with a bottle of water during each exam so we wouldn't dehydrate.
September began with 4 A-levels in Maths, Physics, Chemistry and Biology. A real tough schedule when most girls were only doing 3.
1977
According to our careers advisor, my aspirations of a career in medicine required more than average grades. The chat went something like: “As a girl, you need to be a straight-A student, and ideally either mum or dad should be a doctor before they’ll even consider you. If you want to stand out amongst the other applicant you need to show commitment and dedication.” So I joined a taster course set up at Warwick Hospital which had me spending several hours after school in various departments. All the other girls (and a couple of boys) were prospective nurses rather than doctors, so the sessions were tailored for that. I do remember spending several hours in the pathology department and being utterly fascinated – a career as a SOCO definitely appealed.
Aside from challenging A-level end-of year exams, June saw me taking part in a production of Cinderella with a bunch of kids living on Stratford Road in Warwick as part of the jubilee celebrations.. Being the oldest by far at 17, I got to play the wicked Stepmother and the Fairy Godmother – courtesy of some quick-change costumery. I don’t remember much about the actual show (held in a side-road away from one of Warwick’s busiest main roads. I do, however have fond memories of the wine and cheese party held in the house opposite that evening. Pretty sure I was the only person on the street who went to both.
September: After a long chat with my dad, about engineering, I had a change of heart and was immediately advised to drop Biology – the most labour-intensive of the A-levels. So instead I picked up an extra O-level in Engineering Drawing – completing the 2-year course in a year and managing a B.
1978
Summer A-level exams. As ever my exam nerves kicked in and instead of the predicted As and Bs I managed a C in maths and Ds in Physics and Chemistry. Luckily, I only needed 2 E’s to qualify at Lanchester Polytechnic in Coventry – I think they were desperate to get more girls on the course.
September: 1st year of degree in Electrical/Electronic Engineering
1979
January – One of my strongest memories was driving down to London with Claire and a couple of lads from the course. I bought the most amazing cocktail dress from Harrods and it was only a size 8.
June – As soon as exams finished, started work at GEC Telecomms – the thin sandwich degree meant the 2nd year was split over 2 years.
In addition to several courses in the training school, covering subjects like machine tools (my hubby still had the screwdriver and chain wrench I crafted), I spent anything from a week to three months on placement in various departments throughout the company.
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