Why I wrote Ring of Truth
Although we have had emancipation for 90 years it is only in the last 30 years or so, that women have ventured into jobs traditionally done by men.
Our story of ambition and struggle for equality has not often been told.
That's why I decided to write 'Ring of Truth'. The story of the First Woman to trade on the London Metal Exchange
Ring of Truth is part of our history and it is part of the City of London's history.
I believe we have to write about our achievements so that future generations can know what it was like for us. By telling the story we inspire new generations to take up where we left off.
In 'Ring of Truth' I try to capture what it felt like to work in the City of London. A city established in Victorian values during the late 60's.
Plenty of energy was required all the time, just to get the smallest of jobs done. If you were very young say, 18 you were looked down upon, The City was a stern taskmaster. If you were a woman, well you just shouldn't be here!
Bravery is about conquering your demons on the inside and overcoming constraints that have been programmed from way back. The body is willing, the law is on your side, but the mind, the spirit, is fearful of making a dreadful mistake.
They were watching and waiting for me to trip up, and of course I did make mistakes. But I never lost sight of the big picture.
Women were in the City and they were here to stay. But we still had to do was prove ourselves.
In 'Ring of Truth 'I describe the transition from the old to the new and I want the reader to feel what it was like to work in such a dismal and hostile environment and to want to make change happen.
Women see the world differently and there are reasons for this. Some of those reasons I talk about in the book.
I merge the inner landscape with the outer landscape, what I am doing with what I am thinking. I am trying to tell the story from a joint perspective of the material and the spiritual. In this symbiosis I want to explore, the relationship between thought, feeling, and action within the trader.
The cool outward appearance hides an explosive concoction of internal forces driven by a desire to succeed at all costs. The reader will understand who is trying to make change happen and why.
Bullish or Bearish, the market was always something that had to be conquered.
Huge amounts of energy and drive were required while sitting in the trading ring where split seconds made the difference between losing or making a fortune.
It is real life played out at an unbelievably hectic pace and there were always hundreds of eyes watching!
Not understanding my place, I lapsed into a few misdemeanours myself.
I was disturbed by some of the rituals and club memberships that both created and controlled the decisions and distribution of wealth and status, I had no alternative but to resort to a few rituals of my own!
Experiencing the uproar and activity in the Ring was like being a Gladiator at the Coliseum. The Adrenalin rush alone was known to bring on heart attacks and sudden death. And this day after day, year in year out. Having a quick brain and your wits about you at all times does not make for an easy life for the trader and if you are the only woman in a ring of men all screaming and shouting the role is incredibly demanding.
Today we hear little of the great success stories of the City and instead we hear more about the huge losses from Financial Institutions and rogue traders. We don't hear about the daily pressures of being a trader, the sleepless nights of worry, the keeping up of appearances when you have overdone it the night before out with that all important client!
