Sam, Jul 2018

Tell us your origin story: where are you from and what made you the person you are today?

I’m originally from Wales, via a few years spent in south west England, and ending up in Cambridge after university where I met my husband. Once settled here I was lucky enough to get a job with a software engineering company that got me working in various places around the world. This was a fabulous opportunity but after almost 12 years we decided to move back home to Wales but found after a couple of years that in fact Cambridge felt more like home and we ended up moving back here again in 2011 after having our son.

I have grown to love the completely flat fenland landscape, still completely alien to me as someone who grew up living in a house on the side of a mountain in the Welsh valleys. I do get a bit ‘hiraeth’ sometimes (best translated as Welsh for missing home / feeling nostalgic) but as I say I do love Cambridge and I feel very at home here.

How long have you been a Cambridge Ladybird and what brought you here?

I am a complete newbie as I have only been a Ladybird since Autumn last year, although I was a member of Camcity WI in previous years. You have president Ruth Turner and Jo Beale to thank for persuading me to come along and join you.

What does being in the WI mean to you?

I come from a family of WI-ers, with my sister and mum being past and present presidents of WIs in Norfolk. I love being part of the WI and a Ladybird in particular, it’s absolutely fantastic to be in such an amazing group of likeminded women who get things done, have interesting talks, craft and of course eat cake! We are kick-ass!

What’s a typical day in your life lately?

7am wake up – I don’t usually need an alarm as I have a small boy who handles my wake up needs by sneaking in to give us a cuddle most mornings!
7:15am shower / get dressed for work / walk dog
8am make coffee and eat breakfast
8:30am leave the house
8:40am drop off son at school
(All of this period is interspersed with many many reminders to my son to get dressed / put shoes on whilst he tries to thwart all of my plans to leave the house on time. I should really write a book about the things he does instead of getting dressed!)
8:50am bus to work (I read my kindle!)
9:30am arrive at work
11am coffee (at the university we are rather old fashioned and all meet in the seminar room to take coffee together most mornings if schedules allow)
5/5:30pm catch bus home (whilst reading again)
6:30pm dinner or depending on the evening – Jazzercise!!
7:30pm Bath time followed by reading a story to my son
8pm some sort of relaxing – depending on the day – watching Netflix, sewing or reading – I get through a lot of books on my kindle
10pm – the news followed by bed!

What are your most passionate community or activist goals?

There are a lot of causes that I am passionate about – from recycling and reducing waste and plastic use to encouraging people to donate blood or do volunteer work, I think we should all do our best to help each other, the planet and make our community better in the process.

Chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry?

Depends on what it is…

Ice-cream then def vanilla – you can’t beat the classic, but if we are talking milkshake then strawberry.

Cake, pie, or biscuits?

I had a job making pies years ago, so definitely not them…hmmm…cake or biscuits is tough, can’t I have both? I’m partial to our president’s gin cake but you have to have a biscuit to dunk at coffee time, although apparently I have quite a dull taste in biscuits as my faves are the more plain ones like Lincoln or Malted Milks!

Thank you Sam and we’re so glad to have you in Ladybirds!

Our July 2018 member of the month is Sam!