I ditched hair extensions, fake nails and eyelashes to work on a building site – I came across a lot of sexism

A GLAMOROUS marketing exec ditched her hair extensions, fake nails and eyelashes to go to work on a building site. Charlotte Edwards, 38, decided to take over the family construction business when dad Dennis, 68, and brother Andrew, 29, both died of cancer in 2019. But she had never set foot on a building site […]

A GLAMOROUS marketing exec ditched her hair extensions, fake nails and eyelashes to go to work on a building site.

Charlotte Edwards, 38, decided to take over the family construction business when dad Dennis, 68, and brother Andrew, 29, both died of cancer in 2019.

But she had never set foot on a building site and had to learn the trade by mucking in.

The single mum of two found herself unloading kitchens, cleaning and fetching materials.

She said: “I ditched dresses and heels and bought thermal clothes and steel toe cap boots. I came across a lot of sexism.”

But her change of career has paid off.

Her company, based in Oswestry, Shrops, finished the 25 houses her dad began and is working on other projects.

“I just learnt from the ground up, I went to the site every day and learnt myself.

“I know that a building site is not for children but when the schools closed due to the pandemic, I didn’t have a choice but to take my son, Caleb, seven, and and daughter Florence, four.

“Because I didn’t have any experience in building, I wasn’t able to go on any courses.

“I just listened to podcasts, read books and watched hundreds of YouTube videos just to teach myself.”