A Little Background History

Dad had always wanted to train racehorses full time instead of as a side hobby.  He bought a stables on Peake Rd and changed its name from Swanny Lodge to Waitful Lodge after 1 of his horses.   17 Acres, and old semi villa type house.

I loved the house but hated the life style. I am not a sporty person like the rest of my family. Bit of a nerd and a bookworm. My heaven was a room full of books. So you can image I was the odd one out.  

Dad in his hay day was an all round  athlete but um now he is just all round.   He is retired now and potters around his vege garden. Mum still keeps house but sadly has started the early onset dementia fight. My daughter and I like to take her out for regular lunches. We go fortnightly.

Growing up with 4 brothers on a stables was rough. I wanted to be one of the boys but was not allowed to be. Was made to wear dresses (which I snuck trousers under), was made to do house work and some of the cooking because that's what girls were meant to do according to my family.  I have a temper and - except when it comes to food - quite a strong will, so battles were had.  I fought my brothers, I stood up to my parents. It was exhausting emotionally and my escape was books.

 I loved to make things. Got taught how to make macrame hangers and leather belts. Which I then sold. I learnt early that I was very good at selling. Mum would get me to sell all her raffles from the tennis club. My class mates would give me all the trigon plastic lunch bags to sell (lazy sods) , which I did, winning us a day off school as a reward.   When I finished High School (1979) I went and did a year at The Waikato Technical Institute (Polytech) . Retail Selling and Merchandising course. I excelled and got head hunted. Farmers offered me a job before I had even finished. Worked for them for 5 years, then a brief stint at Warnocks, left them for more money at Smith and Smith paint shop.  Funnily enough out of those 3 jobs only Farmers still remain. I left Smiths to do my OE in 1988.

Always wanted to go to England and work in Harrods and see the Poldark mine in Cornwall. Achieved all that and came back home December 26 1990. There had been family tragedies which brought me home - I wont go into those they are still painful.

Jobs were not easy to find back home so I created my own. For 3 years I took clothing to resthomes from stores that would pay me commission, Freelanced window displays for 14 years - winning a few awards. 

And I did supermarket demonstration work for fieldforce.   Later  also did market reserch for a couple years on top. 

Then there was an add in the paper asking for people to work the fieldays - I was 36.    I have been involved in the show circuit ever since as you would of read in my prevoius blog. :)

 The first 2 pictures are obvious, the middle was taken at my dad's 80th and of course mum and dad.