Life after the Navy 4 - "You've got to prepare"
Glenis Mould
Glenis met Colin in 1983 when he had been serving in the submarine branch of the Navy for eight years. Before getting married Glenis moved to Scotland for a trial period to see whether she could cope with life as a naval wife, although she was not eligible for some of the support provided for married couples. Following their marriage in 1985 they had two children. Colin was often required to work at sea for long periods when they were young, leaving Glenis to raise the children alone. She is very proud of her husband and her own connection with the Navy.
Glenis talks about the role of families in preparing their loved ones for civilian life.
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Extract Text (Duration 1.32)
G Mould: Come out, you could be out of a job within a year ‘cause that company could have gone bust. You could be made redundant, you know, you could decide that that's not the job for you, you don't have a choice, they might want you to leave. Whereas there might be your ideal job there'd probably be 30/40/50 other people going for that one job, and the Navy don't seem to prepare them for that, they just seem to think that, ‘I've been in the Royal Navy, they will give me a job.' Unfortunately it doesn't work like that. Coming out of the services, registering with a doctor or a dentist, your dentist might have a five-year waiting list. Try to get hold of an NHS dentist. You've got to prepare... they've got to prepare for that. They think, ‘I'll just do it.' Actually you can't just do it; you've got to prepare for it.
Interviewer: Is that why the wife and the family have got the role as disillusioners as well as assistants?
G Mould: Absolutely. Bring them back down to earth, absolutely. Saying, "No, actually, this is the world that we live in, it's not the rosy one that you think it is. There aren't the jobs out there. You will be fighting for every job that you go for. Yes, you are top managerial level, there is a young graduate coming out of university who may be 24/25 years' old, they can give 30 years to that company, you're giving them 15."
Move from uniform to man at M&S
2.03 mins - mp3 File
0.48 mins - mp3 File
1.14 mins - mp3 File
"You've got to prepare for it"
1.32 mins - mp3 File
Advantages of partner being in the Navy
1.28 mins - mp3 File
Effect on son's relationship with father
3.00 mins - mp3 File
