When I finished my studies in France I failed to get a job when I returned to England. Studies in sociology lead ‘nul part’. After being turned down after a job interview, I went to the bank, got all of my savings out and bought a ticket to Chile at a travel agents.
In Chile I ran a women’s project without remuneration. The women’s project in Las Encinas, Coquimbo consisted in making ‘arpilleras’ which are sewn pictures made from scraps of cloth. It went well for several years and we were congratulated by the Minister for Women who came to visit us. The arpilleras were sold in England by my Mum so that the women in Chile could earn some money.
After two years renting, I bought a plot of land and built a house in the shanty town of Guayacan, Coquimbo. I became a catequist there for women. The mothers of children doing classes in preparation for First Communion also had to do classes for a year. The formation was about the Catholic faith as well as the Bible.
To earn money I eventually became a shanty town landlady. The reason for this is that you could buy properties there cheaply to live in, but you could never sell them. So I fell into renting out properties.
When I returned to England I became a dinner lady. For this I got an NVQ in food hygiene. It was at this point that I published my first book. There was a full-page spread in Derby Evening Telegraph ‘Dinner Lady Writes Book’. (This anthropology book is going to be reissued soon, but is not currently on sale).
I then became a relief school cleaner as you earn more money this way, and finally got a zero hours contract as a mobile cleaner for Derby City Council. I replaced people off sick. I can say I’ve cleaned every council office in Derby over about 9 years. I also did the Electoral Register in Normanton, the multicultural area of Derby.
After this I bought my own office, turned it back into being a house and lived there with five lodgers. I now have private guests.
The conclusion is that I’ve had a lot of experiences, but never had a proper job. May be ‘I missed the train’ but at least as a writer I’ve never lacked material to write about.
Science Makes Sense Creationism 