A HOLMFIRTH woman who left school with no qualifications now has a degree and her dream job.

But Nancy Harrison had to put in years of hard work to get to where she is today.

Nancy, 55, of Parkhead, was a worsted mender at mills in the Holme Valley after leaving school at 15.

But she always wanted more in life and after marrying in 1970 she and husband John spent more than a year in Canada.

They returned to the Holme Valley, settled down and had a son, Ryan, who is now 34.

They also now have a three-year-old grandson, Jack.

Nancy - whose maiden name was Belfield - always fancied a change of job.

Over the next few years she ran a fruit and vegetable shop at Oakes, worked for bakers Hagenbachs in Halifax and owned a shop, also in Halifax, called Take A Second.

But she had always wanted to be a nurse.

Things really changed when she passed an O-level in maths and an English GCSE and was accepted on to the Registered General Nursing course in Halifax in 1990 and qualified two years later.

She then went on to do the Registered Sick Children's Nursing Course and worked at the former Royal Halifax Infirmary and then on children's wards at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary.

Nancy became interested in psychology and gained a diploma in child and adolescent mental health.

She also worked with children with diabetes and children with mental health problems in Calderdale.

In recent times she has focused on diabetes, working with children in the community from a base at the Calderdale Royal Hospital in Halifax.

Two years ago she raised £2,200 for diabetic children by walking Hadrian's Wall.

She has now finished further study at York University to turn her diploma into a degree.

Nancy said: "I love my job at the moment. But then again I've enjoyed everything I've done and met some wonderful people, especially working in the mills.

"I really wanted a challenge. That was why I went back to get qualifications and then went into nursing.

"It goes to show that if you really want to do something, then you can if you work hard and are prepared to devote so much of your time to it.

"And I've had fabulous support from both John and Ryan."