Amazing CHANGES

Three women show us it's never too late to switch careers in unusual ways

- KATE CHAPMAN

'I was a cleaner...now I'm a lorry driver!'

Linda Prosser, 42, lives in King's Lynn, Norfolk, with her husband Mark, 42, and their daughter Layla, 13.

'What do you think about me being a lorry driver?' I asked my husband Mark, then 41. He'd been toying with the idea himself and mentioned it again last year, and that got me thinking about it too. 'I don't see why not!' he replied enthusiastically.

I originally trained as a florist but it wasn't for me.

I've been a cleaner on and off since I left school. When our daughter Layla, now 13, was born, my cleaning hours fitted in so I could be around more when she was younger, although the pay wasn't great.

I'd always enjoyed driving, and now Layla is older and doesn't need me so much, it felt like a good idea. When I mentioned it to Mark again a few days later, he thought so too.

I have arthritis in my knee, so I was worried I might struggle, but a friend reassured me most vehicles are automatic - there were no more excuses! I booked my medical and completed my HGV theory and hazard perception tests, and gained my Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC).

The first time I got behind the wheel of a lorry it was a bit strange, but it soon felt normal. It was when I got back into a car that I noticed the difference. It felt so much smaller and flimsier, I was all over the place and felt like I was driving a toy! I drive Category C lorries, which are rigid - the cab doesn't detach from the trailer. In June, I started my first lorry-driving job for a company delivering food to hospitals, restaurants and hotels. I work nine hours, Monday to Friday, and cover a wide area across East Anglia.