The Locksmith Journal Jul-Aug 2014 - Issue 33 | Page 20

PROUD SPONSORS OF THIS PAGE INDUSTRYNEWS FROM PRISON OFFICER TO LOCKSMITH Opportunities sometimes knock through events that at the time may not seem lucky. Adele King’s route to becoming a locksmith running her own business – Preston-based Ladykings Locksmiths , for instance, came about following voluntary redundancies in the prison service where she was a senior prison officer. Adele (44) trained as a locksmith in January 2012 with MPL in Bradford, close to where she then lived. “I saw an advertisement for a locksmith and once I found out that I could do the training with MPL, right on my doorstep, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. “Most people who know me well will say I don’t do things by half measures – I don’t go with the trends but always do things differently. So I decided to take the plunge.” She initially wanted to combine her full-time role in the prison service with parttime work as a locksmith, but that was not allowed. “But when voluntary redundancy was offered to senior prison officers in 2012, I decided to apply and got it,” Adele explained. “Throughout my whole adult life, I have always at least attempted to do my own DIY so when I was considering leaving the prison service, I knew I could tackle something practical. Also, I come from a strong security background and can think ‘out of the b