Elaine M. Findlay

Elaine M Findlay

Managing Director, Elaine M. Findlay spent her early years in Suffolk and Essex before the family moved to London where she attended Harrow County Grammar School. A multi-faceted career ensued. She worked at a variety of jobs including Tea Lady, Travel Agent, Administrative Assistant, Audit Clerk, Insurance Broker, Secretary and Computer Operations Assistant.

She married in 1977 and moved to Northamptonshire where she produced a son and daughter. In 1985, divorced and with two small children to support on a mere clerical wage, she moved to Aberystwyth for three years to study a degree in Computer Science at the University College of Wales as a mature student.

After graduating with Honours in 1988, she settled in Bournemouth to take up a post as Analyst Programmer with the then Plessey Defence Systems (now BAe) at Christchurch. In 1994, she took the plunge and gave up the 'safe' job to become a freelance software engineer. A lucrative move that has seen her working in such diverse places as London, Nottingham, Glasgow, York, Bristol and Bicester.

She also takes a keen interest in local issues and is involved in the following:

Chairman of a local residents' association - The Friends of King's Park,
Sits on the Bournemouth Red Arrows Association Executive Committee and is editor of their quarterly journal.
A resident Board Member of Springbourne and Boscombe Neighbourhood Management - a government funded process that involves communities working with agencies to improve services at a local level.
Chairs the Board of the Boscombe and Springbourne Healthy Living Centre - a project which is lottery funded and aims to reduce inequalities in health in the Boscombe and Springbourne areas of Bournemouth
Is the author of the Gelsthorpe family history website www.gelsthorpe.org.uk
Is the author of the Springbourne (a suburb of Bournemouth) history site www.springbourne.org.uk

In what little spare time she has, she enjoys reading, writing, going on long walks with the family dog, Beth, crossword puzzles as well as genealogical and local history research.
email: elaine.findlay@fsa.co.uk