Our quest speaker was a lady bailiff, Mrs Jean Haynes. What an entertaining afternoon she gave us.  Women bailiffs are rare to say the least.  So when Mrs Haynes decided that she wanted to be a bailiff in the 1970’s it created quite a stir, especially as the profession, the second oldest, was male orientated.   On After passing the bailiff’s course in Manchester she then had to apply for a bailiff’s bond.  She was turned down three times, due to her gender, but the third time she decided to fight back.  She stated that there was no law against women bailiffs and when she was proved correct she was awarded her bond.

 

Mrs Haynes first job was in the East End of London.  Where she said that children there thought it normal that the bailiff was to be paid the owed rent with the television or other items totalling the amount outstanding.

She now has her own business and team and covers all areas to Cornwall, Isle of Wight and Wales.

 

The stories she told were so amusing and all the more amazing when you realize that she had to deal with such tough men in tough situations, but she brought a firm politeness, stubbornness and honest approach that won her the respect from the people she dealt with.  The gypsy fraternity knows this petit lady as ‘Er that got the digger’, that is just the end of one of the many amusing stories she related and you will have to read the book that she has decided to write.

 

After a warm applause Mrs Haynes joined everyone for tea, sandwiches and cake.