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My name is Janet Folkes and I live in Bulcote,
Nottingham. I'm not married, and have no kids, but maybe one day!
 Achieving
world records isn't an addiction but I'd like to do some more!
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| Janet Folkes |
I've been ballooning since 1984. It all
started in the final year of my PhD at University. I decided to
do something different – rally car driving or Ballooning. They wouldn’t
let me drive the rally car so I went flying instead!
Achieving world records isn't an addiction but
I would like to do some more!
I really enjoy my job. I work at the University
[Nottingham] with lasers for research into cutting, welding, shape
build-up, mainly on metals and a lot of the work is to do with Rolls-Royce
Aero engines, and some to do with looking at new ways of repairing
components using lasers.
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| Janet before one of her 44 world record attempts. |
I enjoy the challenge and the learning –
doing things nobody else has done or thought of doing!
I don’t enjoy waiting for components when,
for example, a lens breaks in the laser! The
supplier is in the UK but they get components from their German
sister company who get them from another company.
Nottingham has grown and the city centre
has got more lively! There's lots of bars and clubs – a good place
to go out. The traffic has got worse and the house prices higher!
The people are the same though.
At weekends I go flying or visit friends.
My parents go to Southwell for lunch on saturday, next to the market
there, so I try to go too. I then take mum
out in the afternoon - to give dad a break! On sundays, I catch
up with stuff.
I play badminton at Chilwell for a Club
there including League matches so that keeps me busy during the
week too.
I'm lucky with holidays though the time
tends to be ballooning related.
I did go on a mileage ticket to Reunion,
which is a volcanic island near Mauritius, last Christmas and New
Year which was fantastic and I took paragliding lessons there too!
I enjoy living and working in Nottingham. I have to say I prefer
the Welsh Borders countryside but Nottingham has access to some
beautiful places to fly.
My advice for young, ambitious women is
just to do things you enjoy doing.
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