Each month you will meet one of our members and learn a little more about what makes them tick.This month Siobhan Gately.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF?
Hmmm, that's hard as I tend to see myself as extremely disorganised, running around in millions of directions trying to get things done, but never seem to. They do though amazingly enough. I think it has to do with my hair. I have masses of uncontrollable curly hair and I'm sure it's the root of all of this disorder. If I had short straight hair, I'm absolutely sure that there would be more order in my life.

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT?
Getting my driving test. I got it the fifth time round and I know the inspector gave it to me because I was very pregnant! Believe me, getting your driving licence in Paris is no mean feat! I was a nervous wreck, if he said go left at the roundabout, I'd go across it. A three point turn with me was a fifty point one. I found the last inspector very generous giving me the licence and fell on my knees to thank him.
And of course my children, even though when they're being totally obnoxious, I ask myself, Is this an achievement?

WHAT MAKES YOU GET OUT OF BED IN THE MORNING?
Nothing 'gets' me out of bed in the morning. I LEAP out of my bed well before the alarm clock goes off, run around the house like a lunatic screaming GOOD MORNING, GOOD MORNING, GOOD MORNING, GET UP, GET UP, GET UP! Then of course everybody is up and pouring mountains of Rice Krispies into bowls, slurping down tea and coffee, looking desperately for THAT sock, signing things for school, brushing their teeth, then I drive my darlings into school for eight o clock in the terrible traffic jams, then return out to the house and COLLAPSE back into bed to recover. Then after a good hour's nap, I'll potter into my workshop and fiddle around with what I'm working on at the moment.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT LESSON THAT LIFE HAS TAUGHT YOU TO DATE?
Never mix your drinks. Well for me anyway and that's from experience.

WHAT OR WHO IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN YOUR LIFE?
What ? My toothbrush. Who ? well my family - everything I do or make, is with my children and my husband in mind. And my mother who's a long distance weighing scales and hairdressing consultant.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE DAY?
I have to say that I've had millions of memorable days and a lot that I can't actually remember due to mixing drinks. But everyday is a memorable day, there is something special that happens every day.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FRENCH EXPRESSION? AND WHY?
'Le cul bordé de nouilles'. It means to be really lucky. Well I never thought that having loads of noodles in your bum would be thought of as being lucky but I think it's hilarious. And then there's that odd expression - 'ce n'est pas que je m'ennuie mais ....' when someone wants to take leave as they're probably bored out of their heads anyway, but you couldn't say that in English, could you? Sorry, it's not that I'm bored or anything, but I have to get going ... would go down like a lead balloon. And, sorry to go on, but I think this one really expresses joy for a guy 'Il a le boudin qui balance' - you can cross that one out if you like Sue ...

WHAT DO YOU MOST LIKE ABOUT LIVING IN FRANCE?
I didn't actually choose to live forever in France, it just happened because I met the most handsome man in the country and stayed, he just wouldn't let me go home. So I've grown to love it here, though there have been moments ... But , what I absolutely loved from the beginning was the freedom. I arrived about twenty years ago from Ireland and the freedom here was just amazing to me, people talked about everything. I was in Paris and it was so exciting and so cosmopolitan. I felt like I'd escaped from prison and just went wild for a couple of years, before I became the respectable lady you see here today. And the wine and cheese of course.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE IN NANTES?
Well, Trentemoult isn't a bad place to be and I love living here by the river and now we can get the boat into Nantes. The market La petite Hollande on saturday mornings. The wood port under the Pont de Cheviré is wonderful and the cranes along the quays... I also go out to Préfailles a lot which is a seaside resort not far from Pornic where I feel like I'm in an Enid Blyton book just waiting for my famous five friends to arrive and go off and solve mysteries and have picnics on the rocks, but with a bottle of wine.

WHAT MADE YOU JOIN THE KNOWING NANTES NETWORK?
Sue Alouche forced me to join! and I shall be eternally grateful to her !