What did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a chemist and own a lovely shop. I had been reading a lot of crime novels and in one the chemist was convicted of murder because he had allowed the criminal to buy and use illegal poisons. The story emphasised that the chemist deserved his fate and I took this literally and dropped my ambition!

When I was 6 we were asked to write in our jotters what we wanted to be when we grew up. I can still picture the expressions on the faces of my parents. It came as a complete surprise to read I’d like to be a nun or a bus conductress ?

I settled for nursing.

Air hostess. I wrote to all the British airlines when I was 14 and asked what subjects I should study at O level, and was gutted when they wrote back, mentioning, as well as academic, language, and first aid qualifications, the (impossible for me) requirement to be 5ft 7ins minimum.

I wanted to be a ballerina or an air hostess but my mum told me I had to get a proper job so I became a nurse then a midwife.

I wanted to be a probation officer. Trained as a Nursery Nurse, ended up as an IT project manager, finally house building pm.

The other job I wanted was that of librarian. Now well into my seventies I have a voluntary job as a librarian. It's never too late .

sodapop

The other job I wanted was that of librarian. Now well into my seventies I have a voluntary job as a librarian. It's never too late .

I think it’s too late for me to be a ballerina!

Zonne

Air hostess. I wrote to all the British airlines when I was 14 and asked what subjects I should study at O level, and was gutted when they wrote back, mentioning, as well as academic, language, and first aid qualifications, the (impossible for me) requirement to be 5ft 7ins minimum.

There were some books at school about careers. The only one I remember is Air Hostess Anne!!

I wanted to be a nanny and live in Canada. When I said this at a careers meeting I was laughed at and told the was no such thing a a nanny, it was a nursery nurse so I should be a teacher. I went to Canada as a nanny, but came back to the UK and trained as a teacher in my 40s.

Grandma70s

Like maddyone I too wanted to be a nurse, but was ‘actively discouraged’ by my Mother. I went into Local Government, social work, then voluntary work when the DDS were born.
I think I’d have made a decent Nurse and DH often said I was clever enough should’ve been a Doctor, but I had no interest in University in the 60s.
If I had my time again, I’d go against my Mother, but as an only child, I felt I had to conform to her wishes.

I had no idea.
I liked stories about dancing and acting but never considered an ordinary person like me could do those things.

I wanted to be an Internationally acclaimed show jumper. I didn't even get to have my own a horse!

I was very happy in my convent school and adored the nuns, so obviously, that was what I was going to be when I grew up. Then one day, one of the sisters got caught in a gust of wind in the cloister and her veil was blown off. The sight of her almost bald head put and end to that ambition.