Tell us about yourself

[ShinyLauren]

I'm the same Lauren, trying to juggle a business while working full time is so difficult!

Especially if you get a few orders in at the same time, or your other half expects you to leave the bench to do something sociable of a weekend!

[MMM Jewellery]

[QUOTE]I live in Reading too Matt! *waves!*
Hi Unhindered
*Waves back* from the cultural metropolis of Reading

[Tabby66]

Just catching up with things on here and this is a great thread!!

Okay, so me…..

I’ve always been fairly practical and creative, right from childhood I’ve been able to turn my hand to most things, but I was very much steered down an academic route at school. I always wanted to be a nurse, for as long as I can remember and refused the university route that I was being pushed towards.

I trained and lived in Birmingham (Dudley Road Hospital, now City Hospital, just up from the Jewellery Quarter). Back then I married the wrong man and quickly had two wonderful children (well they are now they’re grown up)!! I was 20+ years in the NHS, mainly as a District Nursing Sister and Senior Manager. The latter did for me, to cut a very long story short,…..my boss was the first Very Senior Manager to go to prison for falsifying his qualifications and fraud, I had a ‘breakdown’ which still has it’s challenges, this all resulted in a long and drawn out case in The High Court (settled immediately before I was due to take to the stand).

So during what was a horrendous ordeal for me, my mum took me to an evening class of my choice (I was 40 and my mum had to take me!), I chose Jewellery making and silversmithing. I found my solace, I found something I loved and could actually do!! 8 years later, including more than 4 years (part-time) training at the bench with a master jeweller, here I am……and I wouldn’t choose to be doing anything else!!

And my most privileged opportunity has been to make my daughter’s engagement ring (in secret) earlier this year!!

[Patstone]

Well you have all led quite a colourful life havent you - I left out my colourful bits. Married to a farmer the first time around, had a daughter who also makes jewellery, she pushed me on a course to get me out of the house after i lost confidence when i lost my eye. I have green eyes and the hospital gave me a bright acid green one to start with, so confidence was at an all time low, I now have one which apparently they hand paint so its the exact colour of the other one. We joined an evening course together which was a bit daunting, as depth perception goes too, I am still allowed to drive though which was a bit scary to start with. She also bought me a Labrador dog, because she knew that I would take him out for walks every day, which i have to say helped a lot with the confidence levels. Left hubby no.1 because I couldnt stand living basically on my own most of the time, (he would work until dark and beyond 7 days a week, although there were 10 staff) in a dark draughty old farmhouse, which had the ghost of an old lady in, (didnt believe in ghosts, until you see a bum print on your daughters feather quilt when she is only about three and was fast asleep, and you were told that an old lady came in and told her a story. When hubby got married again, they had the reception at the farmhouse, and apparently one of the house guests went in to see what ex hubby had been doing to the house to modernise it a bit when a voice said over his shoulder (from a staircase that had been boarded up, that originally curled up around the walk-in fireplace) "I dont like it" and he ran out and wouldnt go back in and decided to abandon the wedding and go home. Met someone else and lived with them for about 8 years then he met someone and left, at this point I decided enough was enough and to stay single was the best bet, so stayed on my own for around 10 years then met a lovely man who I have been married to for 10 years. Daughter lives around quarter of a mile from me and my mum and stepdad live around 2 miles away so apart from my mum being 98 this December and my stepdad being 10 years younger they cope with having their own bungalow and mum has a greenhouse and a tiny garden which she can plant her "baby plants" in. So keeping quite active. Thats the more colourful events in my life but not to be judged by, I didnt leave hubby no.1 until my daughter had left home.

[metalsmith]

... Thats the more colourful events in my life but not to be judged by.

That sounds colourful enough to me ...
I wouldn't judge, but suggest an award for bravery for continuing to live in a failed relationship for the sake of someone else could be appropriate.

[Patstone]

I dont wish him ill at all, he was very hard working and the bosses son, so he had to be on top of everything. We had a big dairy herd over 100 milking cows and about the same of beef, the dairy cows had a herdsman but of course they had calves so we had two big buildings full of calves of varying ages. It was quite interesting really because the buildings were listed as they were originally the Bishop of Exeters Summer Palace in Bishopsteignton (Bishops town on the River Teign) traced back to 1300 and beyond, and the farmhouse that we lived in was over 600 years old and was the "estate managers" residence. The ruins are still there and open to the public to see if they want to but the farmhouse was sold laterly when ex decided to grow grapes and now has a vineyard and cafe I believe which is open to the public. There was proved to have been a vineyard there in Roman times, so carrying on tradition I suppose.

[metalsmith]

Carrying on a tradition and diversifying out of dairy, which hasn't been a particularly well supported industry to put it mildly... no wonder he had to work so. It will all take its toll on relationships and individuals in the end. Re vinyard, "climatic" swings and roundabout, I suppose: make hay while the sun shines etc. I hope he's now beating the French at their 'own' (so they think) game.

[more534]

what an interesting group of people!

I'm in Canada, Near Toronto. (born there, but moved to smaller town as a kid.) was horse-crazy from the beginning, and after highschool, went on to ride, compete (3-day eventer here) and run a boarding/training barn.
also decided to get a REAL job, and ended up being the first woman ever in Canada to be a telephone repairman. Did that for years, and overlapped it with running my own 100 acre farm, with WAY too many horses, many of them rescued. ( I can tell you some truly horrific stories.)

am now retired sort of, working a boring day job, and getting ready to open a small bakery.
and of course, am making silver jewelry on the side. I studied silversmithing at college right after high school, but other interests took over. Back to it now, and really enjoying it.

[Hils]

I haven't been on for ages, but thought I'd join in.
I'm Hilary (soon to be Willow) and I'm 46.
Have a Biology Degree and a Post Grad in software development. Spent 5 years working for TNT, before I became an IT contractor and worked for various firms round the country. I have beed a Slimming World consultant and now I work for a famous "fruit company" and make jewellery in my spare time. I'm married (20 years) and have 2 dogs.
Been missing for a while because I essentially had a breakdown, but with the help of my hubby and my psychiatrist I am making good progress and have started to want to make jewellery again, but now I can't find my saw, saw blades, solder or bench block!!

Hils (or maybe Wils, when I change my name!)

[Tabby66]

Glad to hear that you're making good progress Hils, and certainly hope you find your saw, blades, etc soon,......I couldn't survive without mine!!!