Jackie was one of the people I was lucky enough to share an office when I first arrived at Symonds. She immediately made me feel welcome, helping me to find resources and my way round what seemed to me to be, at times, a foreign country!

When Jackie was in the office it was always heads down . You were aware of her working away, usually producing an engaging resource for an upcoming lesson. If she thought it relevant she would share. as we were, at that time, teaching same half of the Language course. One day, the sound of quiet tapping from Jackie's side of the room was disrupted by a tirade of a certain four letter word coming from her computer. This was my second week! I don't why the tones of Jackson and Travolta jolted me out of my seat- but they did! Jackie had somehow managed to find a clip of everytime this word was used in "Pulp Fiction" to use as resource for a lesson on  taboo language.  (I used this probably in exchange for something much more dull. )

But it wasn't all work.

"Coffee, m'dear?" would signal our return trip to Varley cafe. On these trips , we would catch up with our families' news; what we had  read and seen and, of course what we thought of  The Archers! She was horrified, when on one occasion, we had returned to the empty office and spent about half an hour discussing the demise of Nigel Pargetter.

"Jo, we're being paid for this!"  A Jackie giggle. And back we went to work.

Jackie was a sheer joy to work with and for. A consummate professional with a genuine interest in all those around her.  I don't want to start writing  in cliches, but she really did see the best in everyone and no matter what was going on she was positive, humorous and thoughful .

Miss you, Jackie