00:00I see myself as an engineer. I mean, that's where I am.
00:05I got this role because I'm an engineer, not because I'm a woman.
00:10So I am here stood right at the end of the Clifton Suspension Bridge,
00:14a Grade 1 listed structure that was designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel.
00:19And it has become a massive part of the city.
00:22And the bridge master is a woman.
00:25So what my day-to-day job involves,
00:28at the minute, I'm very focused on the main big project.
00:31So I'm talking to the contractor, Taziker, about what we're doing next
00:36and any issues that have come up or anything that we need to discuss or agree.
00:40So I'm doing that on a regular basis with them.
00:43We have a team in the museum. We've just got a newly accredited museum and archive.
00:49So we have tours going on for the visitors.
00:52And it's a Grade 1 listed structure.
00:55And not many Grade 1 listed structures are actually a working structure.
00:59Let's find out what it's like to be a woman in a male-dominated engineering industry
01:04running the Clifton Suspension Bridge.
01:07The engineering industry is still and has been forever, really, very male-dominated.
01:14So what has that been like for you?
01:16Well, when I started, I started my engineering career doing a degree 40 years ago.
01:22And at that time, there was probably about 10% of women in the industry.
01:27And I would have thought by now, 40 years on, we would be nearly at 50%.
01:32But sadly, we're about 15%, 16% of women in the industry.
01:36I'm hoping there's more. Younger women are coming through now.
01:40But it is important that we try and get more and more women into the industry.
01:45And as I say, the women are the multitaskers.
01:48So project management and all of that is much more easy for us.
01:52Lots of girls and young women are going to be looking up to you thinking,
01:55I could maybe do that one day.
01:57What do you think it means to other women in the city to have you as the bridgemaster?
02:03Well, I suppose I'm a bit of a role model.
02:07I don't see myself as a role model.
02:09I see myself really as an engineer who's got the job on this iconic structure.
02:15But the fact that I'm a woman, the first female bridgemaster to look after this bridge,
02:21I suppose, stands for something.
02:23And if it can bring more women girls into engineering, that would be fantastic.
02:29I mean, it's a great opportunity. It's a great career.
02:32And if I had to do my career all over again, I wouldn't change a bit of it.
02:36So, you know, I really do love what I've done here so far.
02:40And are you proud to be the bridgemaster?
02:42Yeah, so proud. I mean, it's a really great role to have.
02:46But I've also got a really fantastic team behind me. I don't do any of this alone.
02:50I've got a great team who support me along the way.
02:53So between us all, we are really proud to look after this brilliant bridge.
Comments