Local news reporter

I lived and was schooled in Lowestoft from the age of eight and then went straight into the Nursing school at the Old Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, with a gap year in Germany as an au pair. I qualified as an SRN in 1975 and started my Midwifery training in 1976. Two thirds of the way through I took a break to do what I refer to as my ‘practical’ – I had a baby boy! After my six weeks post-partum leave, I returned and completed my training in 1977. I worked part time on nights at the N&N and had another baby, this time a girl.

We moved to a smallholding in Denton where we bred pedigree dairy goats, pigs, chickens, ducks and geese and grew all our own vegetables. In 1982 I landed my dream job as a community midwife in the Bungay area. I was very happy in that job, but unfortunately after many patients and lots of home deliveries I had to take early retirement for health reasons. I could no longer do the job I loved and had to consider what to do next. As I had gone into Nursing at 18, I decided to fulfil my other love and enrolled at the UEA as a mature student doing an English Literature degree and graduated with a BA (hons) in 2004. I then took up my own business in outside event catering. I catered lots of events, including festivals, wakes and weddings. In between, my son and I ran two pubs at different times, the Duke of York in Ditchingham and The Chequers in Bungay. I also served as a District Councillor on South Norfolk District Council from 2003 – 2007.

After several years I wanted to slow down a bit and I gave up the large events, but kept my hand in cooking for Country Markets, eventually becoming Market Manager at Beccles until it closed at Christmas last year. I still cook for individuals for their special occasions and Bungay Country Market on a weekly basis. As I’m not ready to dwindle into the sunset yet, I am also helping out by collating the local news for Park Radio, which the presenters read out on their shows. So that’s me Mandy Smith, as you can see, very much a local girl since the age of eight. Also known as Park Radio presenter Matt Smith’s Mum!