Judy Thomas
I left school in 1963, which is when I began working for the Ministry of Defence in London. I then had a varied career within the Civil Service which, culminated in working for the DHSS based in Cardiff.
My father had an entire career in the Royal Air Force spanning an amazing 57 years. He enrolled during World War 2 and finished as a Squadron Leader, later transferring to the Foreign Office. My early days were spent in Cyprus, Germany and London.
Following my retirement from the Civil Service, I kept busy by undertaking voluntary work. For several years, I have been a Prison Visitor at Cardiff Prison. In addition, I also act as a custody visitor for the South Wales Police force, visiting custody suits mainly in Cardiff, but also Merthyr and Bridgend. Additionally, I am an Animal Welfare visitor checking on the well-being of the South Wales Police dogs and horses, which are kept in Bridgend.
In October 2017, I started working as a Support Officer for Woody’s Lodge. My role is to help with the benefit needs of service veterans. This involves giving advice where needed and support with completion of benefit forms, which can be time-consuming and complicated. I also attempt to give advice on various subjects when asked.
I find the work extremely rewarding, although it can be upsetting at times hearing veterans’ stories. At the end of the day it is very worth-while activity and gives me great satisfaction. Outside of my work, I have been married for 39 years. My husband has retired and now does most of the cooking and looks after the house, which is lucky for me as I never seem to be in!