Then…

Ceal, on holiday, aged 15.

Thinking about yourself as the young woman in this photo, what did you think life held in store for you?

I was born in 1940 and my early life, for me, was set out by my parents, one did as one was told and I guess one didn’t have many choices in life. One didn’t have a choice of what to eat, what to wear, where to go etc. It was how things were. I didn’t question it because I knew no alternative. Therefore, the first time in my life that I had to make a proper choice was how to chose a career. I wasn’t very good at that! I really had no idea of what the future held for me. I actually don’t think that I thought about it. This is a very honest statement from me.

…and now

Ceal, now, walking around 76 miles of the Camino de Santiago in six days, fundraising for charity.

What advice would you give your younger self now about being young and growing older?

I would advise her to think for herself at every opportunity. To be assertive. To believe in herself and be confident.