From Plasterers Labourer to Plastering Trainer
Back in 2002, after leaving school, I started a part-time college course in sports therapy, health, and fitness. My dream was to become a personal trainer because of my love for exercise. However, my parents insisted that I find a job on my days off. So, I began labouring for the building firm where my dad worked.
The foreman advised me to learn a trade, saying it would always be useful. He suggested plumbing or electrics, but I was drawn to plastering—I figured it would keep me fit, so I decided to give it a go.
My dad, a plasterer by trade, strongly advised against it. He believed that a woman’s body wasn’t built for such demanding work. Looking back, I sometimes wish I had listened to him! But being the strong-minded girl I was, I set out to prove him wrong.
I left the building firm and joined a plastering company, often working to keep four or five plasterers going at once. It was tough, but I loved the physical challenge and was determined to master the trade. Even though I had completed my college course, I was enjoying my new skill so much that I decided to continue working with my hands.
By the time I was 19, I had started taking on small private jobs—just the odd ceiling here and there. Now, 23 years later, I run my own business and have never been out of work. Eventually, my dad ended up working for me, along with three or four others.
That’s not to say it has always been easy. There are days when I wonder why I chose this path—when my body aches, my hands are cracked from the cold, or when a job isn’t going to plan. But then there are days when I can’t imagine doing anything else. The satisfaction of the work, the freedom of being my own boss, and the financial stability that comes with having a trade have allowed me to raise four children on my own.
I always told myself that by the time I was 40, I didn’t want to be plastering every single day. As you get older, the aches only get worse—my dad was right (but don’t tell him I said that!). So, I took the leap and applied to be a plastering instructor at the C&G Plastering Academy in Bedfordshire. Now, I teach young people who have been excluded from education, sharing my 23 years of experience with them. I love giving them an insight into the plastering world and showing them that not being academic doesn’t mean they won’t succeed in life—some of us were simply born to be practical.
Am I still plastering? Yes. Will I still be doing it in another 20 years? Probably. I have slowed down, but I think I’ll miss it—after all, it’s all I know!
Lath and Plaster 