“Dame Allan’s gave me the confidence to give things a go and not be afraid to try."

I have such happy memories of my time at Dame Allan’s, it was mainly having some great friendships, playing lots of sports and generally enjoying all my different subjects. Mrs Donald and Mrs Rickaby in the sports department were absolutely key to my Dame Allan’s journey. I also really loved my English lessons with Mrs Brown, who sparked my interest in English Literature.

I absolutely loved sports and anything co-curricular. I played with some amazing girls, and loved nothing more than competing against other teams in the Dame Allan’s uniform. I was captain of the hockey team, went to the National Championships with the athletics team, played on the netball team, and regularly played tennis and swam for Dame Allan’s. There was nothing I didn’t want to participate in. I went on some amazing tours, particularly to Canada to play netball which was an amazing experience. The excitement of sewing another colours badge onto my red sash was the best!

My introduction to hockey by Mrs Donald and Mrs Rickaby really did change my life. Having never picked up a hockey stick before Year 7, I soon fell in love, captaining the County team and playing for the North East Regional academy. It also had a massive impact on my decision to go on to study Sports Science at Loughborough University and play hockey alongside my studies. 

I think Dame Allan’s gave me the confidence to give things a go and not be afraid to try something different. I also felt that I was able to have different sides to me, as someone who loved art, English and sport, I was able to explore lots of different subjects in depth, with lots of opportunities in all subject areas. Dame Allan’s encouraged me to just follow my passions, choosing subjects that I was interested in rather than having a specific career path in mind. This is partly why I have worked as a PE teacher, NHS manager and now a Florist! I wouldn’t change anything because I have enjoyed each new experience, and I really feel like all of my skills are being brought together in the work I do now. 

As part of my day job, I run a wedding business with my Mum called Jones & Jones Flowers, which we started at the beginning of 2021. Since it started, we have won North East Wedding Florist of the Year, and a Silver-Gilt medal at Chelsea Flower Show for a floral lamp post that we designed and made, which was an amazing experience. We do around 40 weddings a year at a variety of amazing venues across the North East, including Newcastle Cathedral, Bamburgh Castle, Newton Hall, Wylam Brewery and many others. We have also worked on some amazing corporate events for customers like Rolex and Harrods.

There was a really exciting period In September last year when we acquired the Newcastle and Gosforth branches of Katherine’s Florists, after the previous owners decided to retire. This was a really exciting moment for me in my career, having grown up in Newcastle and knowing that they are such a well regarded and historic name - they’ve been in business since 1970, originating in the Grainger Market. 

I now manage 19 staff members including florists, administrators and drivers. My day-to-day life is extremely varied! I still like to do some floristry when I can, so I will often help with some of the more complex corporate events, funerals or weddings. We do on average between 40-50 deliveries a day all across the North East and we also have some really exciting corporate clients, such as Newcastle United, Malmaison, Newcastle and Northumbria Universities. Our staff really enjoy creating bouquets, especially for NUFC - they normally take it in turns to do the deliveries so they can meet the players - one of the perks of the job!

I think running your own business brings together a massive range of skills, so it’s important to be well rounded, which I think my education at Dame Allan’s definitely helped with. I never formally did economics or business studies, but you need to be willing to learn and really passionate about your business area to want to succeed! My day can involve putting together quotes for customers, responding to queries, staff management and meetings, social media updates, ordering flowers or making some bridesmaids bouquets! I also have an 18-month-old daughter, with another one on the way, so I am always busy running around - I secretly love the chaos!

I think if you love art, are a creative person, want to use your hands and don’t like sitting at a desk all day, then floristry could be a great career for you! However, I wouldn’t have given up my university experience for the world, and it played a really important part in who I am today. I’d say to Dame Allan’s pupils today: don’t worry if you think everyone else has their career path nailed and you aren’t sure. Loads of people change careers over their lifetime, and lots of florists come to floristry slightly later in life - and that’s fine! 

As for what I’d put in my ideal bouquet, that is a hard question and it changes each season we go into! At the moment, I’d like some Tulips, Butterfly Ranunculus, Narcissus, Clematis and Hyacinths for the scent! However, I am an absolute sucker for a big bunch of sweet peas.