A former private detective who worked in Glasgow in the 1960s has recalled how her feminine intuition gave her the upper hand over her male counterparts. Helen Wilson, 84, left her rural home in Fife to move to the city aged 18 to begin her career.
The brave teenager grew up in a quiet village, Upper Largo, and opted for a career path which was very much male dominated at the time. After initially working as a police officer in the notoriously tough Strathclyde Police, she branched out into working for a private investigation agency after she earned her stripes - where her job title was Woman Police Constable.
Now retired, Helen still loves reading crime fiction at the care home where she lives. She believes, however, that women are massively underrepresented in crime shows on TV as a result of outdated attitudes. Helen said: "It was still quite unusual for women to be a part of the police force back then, but it was something I had always wanted to do.
"I never had much fear and always enjoyed the faster side of life so after my 18th birthday I took myself out of Upper Largo and moved to the big city, Glasgow. I loved being a policewoman, it was exciting working in the marine division and I met my husband-to-be during that time. But my interest in the criminal side of the job had been well and truly piqued and I knew it was time I wanted to try something new.
"It wasn’t common for young women to work in crime in general in the 60s, never mind as a private detective, but that didn’t stop me. No job was the same, and I met some amazingly interesting people – good and bad, but always with a story to tell.
"From shoplifting to more serious crimes such as assault, I helped solve many crimes for both the defence and the prosecution at the time. Still to this day most detectives you see on the TV and in films are men, but that’s outdated.
"It was skills such as my attention to detail, my ability to speak to anyone and a keen intuition that set me apart in my private detective days. Although I don’t use my investigating skills much anymore, I still think I can sniff out a dodgy character from a mile off."
Helen moved into Jesmond care home in Aberdeen two years ago. "The staff are brilliant and help me keep my curiosity and intuition alive with jigsaws, quizzes and I never have my nose out of a book – no prizes for guessing the genre," she enthused.
Jade McGowan, activities co-ordinator at the home, said: "Helen is a great example of breaking boundaries and bias within gender. She is so inspiring and is a fantastic role model to young women today who still face similar challenges in their own lives.
"We are always sharing life stories and having open and engaging conversations in the home, and International Women’s Day poses a great chance for us to explore more about the residents’ experiences and discuss how things have, and haven’t, changed over generations."
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