My inspiration for becoming an engineer was definitely my Dad who was a Chartered Marine Engineer. He came from a long line of sea farers, however I knew from an early age that this would not be the career path for me as I get really sea sick! He was also a huge supporter of the Women In Science and Engineering (WISE) initiative, so I grew up hearing about women undertaking amazing work in engineering. I grew up in a family where engineering in one form or another was always a topic for discussion and various domestic appliances were frequently in a state of disrepair while they were being fixed by my Dad, with me as his assistant.
I took A levels in Maths, Physics and Geography and, with the encouragement of an amazing Physics teacher, went on to study Physics at University. On graduating, I applied for a job in the Scientific Civil Service and ended up at the Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL) in the concrete pavements team. I was surprised to find myself the only woman in a team of seven, and the youngest by about 25 years! I was also one of only six women out of about 100 scientists and engineers that comprised the Materials and Construction Group of TRRL.
My first few years at work entailed a lot of laboratory and site work, spending many days away from home working on motorway construction sites monitoring or undertaking trials of new materials or equipment. I was fortunate that TRRL sponsored a few employees each year to undertake an MSc in Highway Engineering at the University of Nottingham, and in 1992 I studied for this part time alongside my day job. It gave me an excellent foundation in Highway Engineering and complemented my TRRL technical work which by this time was focussed on alternative textures for concrete roads and quiet concrete pavements. I spent more time working on the M18 and A50 than I did at home for a few years. I was frequently the only woman on site – at this time there were no female facilities anywhere and it was a struggle to buy PPE and boots that actually fitted. But the job had to be done, so I made do and got on with it. One of my proudest achievements is the TRL published report TRL291 Alternative Textures for Concrete Roads - Results of M18 and A50 Trials by Hewitt, Abbot and Nelson.
However, by the mid-90s there were definitely more woman in engineering, especially at TRRL and we endeavoured to steer the coffee conversation away from football.
A year after marriage, my daughter arrived and then a year later we spent a year in the Philippines as an Overseas Posting with my husband’s work. Our second child arrived soon after and I was able to take a 5year career break. I returned to work part time to a slightly different area of work, sustainability in construction and resource efficiency, and to a far more diverse workplace with a female team leader and director. We don’t give this a second thought now as it feels like the norm. By this time, I also had elderly parents who lived a long way away, as well as small children to care for so was always juggling a lot of balls.
I have worked part-time for almost 20 years now, my children are adults, and my parents are no longer around, but we have a very needy dog! I am very fortunate to have a job I enjoy with amazing colleagues, where no two days are the same, and a work/life balance that works for me. In my spare time I chair a local civic society and am involved in many local projects including creating wildflower verges and a tapestry lawn and am currently undertaking the groundwork to set up a local repair cafe
At TRL we have an excellent Women in Leadership support and mentoring group that brings us all together and provides a safe space to learn from one another. My hope is that looking forwards, no woman is put off pursuing a career in Engineering and that employers look for ways to support their employees through all the turmoil that life brings.
