Women doing jobs for the boys

Mother of one and electrician Charlotte Riddle says male customers often try to do her job for her Painter and decorator Jane Pennock, 49, used to work in the fashion industry but felt unfulfilled Plumber Pamella Edwards, 43, has a supportive husband but the men she works with are verbally abusive Between 2011 and 2013, website checkatrade.com saw a three-fold rise in the number of women becoming members Barclays Bank also reported a 12 per cent increase in female-owned trade businesses

By Andrea Childs

Published: 17:07 EST, 24 August 2014 | Updated: 04:59 EST, 25 August 2014

Charlotte Riddle spent a morning last week crawling on her stomach through a rat-infested attic, inches deep in dust and grime.

While most women would be happy to leave this sort of ordeal to celebrities in the jungle, mother-of-one Charlotte couldnt have been happier. I was trying to get to the wiring I was replacing, she explains. You should have seen the shock on the customers face when I said Id take on the job!

As an electrician, Charlotte is used to surprised reactions. When I answer the phone at work, they assume Im the receptionist and ask to speak to the electrician, or ask when he is going to arrive, she says. I tell them theyre speaking to her, and theres usually a pause and an embarrassed apology.

Electrician and other of one Charlotte Riddle even has husband Adriano on the payroll of her business

Its mainly older men who dont know what to say to me or cant look me in the eye its like they cant understand a woman doing a mans work.

In fact Charlotte, who lives with her partner Adriano and her five-year-old daughter Lucy, owns the company.

Adriano, 41, is on the payroll. We met through friends and he loves the fact Im an electrician he says it makes me even more unique, says Charlotte, 33. His background is in general trades, so he began helping me out on jobs and now works for the business full-time.

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Women doing jobs for the boys