Tell us about a time when you felt out of place.
When I was just 16 I left home to come up to Belfast to work in the Civil Service.
Things weren’t going well at home due to my relationship with my now husband.
Obviously at 16 I was naïve and thought things would be different in the big city.
On my first morning presenting myself for work I was full of enthusiasm. I thought being recruited at Clerical officer level would be a guarantee to a career path.
Many of the females in the office were employed as Clerical Assistants and they were not happy to see someone of my age coming in a grade higher.
When I asked questions they were evasive or gave me incorrect information and made my life quite miserable.
I also was told that the Junior Staff officer in my section prided herself on having an all Protestant staff and here was a Catholic interloper.
It was a two pronged attack.
There was a staff member who became my friend and he helped me get me though those rough days, probably without even knowing it and we still are in communication 60 years letter.
Not a nice way to start of a career.
CHATTER 