Biography of Sarah

Sarah was fifteen when she worked in her first job in a shoe shop, while still at school. She loved it there, she says, and learning to measure feet was a useful skill, especially when she had her own children. Although the work in the shoe shop wasn’t very well paid she did earn commission on selling products like shoe cleaners.  When she left school she worked as a waitress.

She initially wanted to be an air hostess but she was too young. She went to Ashford College two days a week and the rest of the week she was on placement, working at the Falstaff Hotel in Canterbury and in other hotels, in different positions.

Sarah has worked in catering all her life and loves being ‘front of house’ chatting to customers. She worked for Deutsche Bank in London for two years catering for meetings.

After she had her first child she worked in Ashford at Eastwell Manor where she was catering manager. She then came to Rye and worked as events manager for the George. She was there six years. She now works in reception for the Lookout in Rye. She really likes people, she says, talking to people, so this is a good job for her.

Sarah had other children but she always worked, partly for financial reasons and also because she enjoys her work, but although her husband was very supportive with childcare, it was not so easy.

Audio of interview with Sarah