THERE are changes down the line at Bury-based Pennine Telecom where new recruit Alexandra Craig is the first female phone engineer.

The 19-year-old is getting to grips with being the only woman on the maintenance team at the Salford Street telecommunications firm.

But working in a man's world is nothing new for Alexandra who took up the trade straight from school.

The former Turton High School pupil joined Horwich-based Matrix Telecom after gaining nine GCSEs.

Being the only female presence in what is, historically, a male-dominated profession does not daunt Alexandra who has wanted to do the job since enjoying work experience at BT as a schoolgirl.

"I have yet to see another woman working as a phone engineer but it doesn't bother me," she says.

"I fell in love with the job when I spent a fortnight trailing the BT engineers on their calls."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.