Sharon Griffiths Meets....

She talks to Sharon Griffiths about her hectic life.

WHILE we were talking, Michelle Robson sat down for nearly an hour - which must be some sort of record. Usually Michelle, 42, is doing at least two things at once, invariably on behalf of other people or her local community in Upper Weardale. And that's as well as being wife to Steve and mother to three children aged 11, eight and seven.

She is probably best known for her role as a special constable. She's won awards for it, from Durham Constabulary and Country Life magazine. Now she's an acting Divisional Officer but prefers her other title of Parish Constable.

"I like that because it has a nice historic ring to it."

As a special constable, Michelle's committed to doing four hours a week. Unsurprisingly, she does many more - often ten to 16.

"I try and fit in as many hours as I can. I'm often double crewed with a regular officer so it depends on his hours too," she says.

Her role includes liaising with the three schools on her beat and talking to the children. She's training for the new radio system and has qualified for driving police cars.

"There's a lot of meetings and beat duty. I was outside the Dun Cow when President Bush was having lunch there with Tony Blair. I was talking to George Bush's driver - fascinating insights. The night before I 'd been at a football match looking after Sir Bobby Robson, so it's certainly varied.

"Specials - especially in an area like Weardale - are actually in a very privileged position as we can opt in and out of things that interest us. I've worked with Scenes of Crime officers and I'm always hoping to work with the Coroner's Officer. All really interesting."

And she can't even go home to put her feet up. For Michelle's "proper" job is at home. She and husband Steve share their home not just with their children but with three adults with learning difficulties, known collectively as "The Gang". John has been with them for 13 years, Kathleen and Tracey came a few years ago.

It's a demanding job, often rewarding, invariably exhausting and sometimes frustrating.

Michelle says: "They're lovely people, but Steve or I have to be with them 24 hours day. We've put a lot of effort in to help them be as independent as possible - they make cups of tea, get their own lunch, but they are our full-time responsibility, so there always has to be someone with them."

Michelle, from Burnley, and Steve, from Newton Aycliffe, both trained as mental health nurses, met on a course in Cardiff, worked on Tyneside and got so fed up commuting back and forth over the Tyne Bridge, that they went globetrotting.

"We travelled all through Greece on mountain bikes, washing up in bars. Then we went to Australia for a year, travelled all over - in a van this time - and did all sorts of jobs," says Michelle.

When they knew they had to come back they decided to look after people in their own home under the Family Placement Scheme.

"We knew we could do it, give people a better quality of life, help them get more out of life, so we looked for a big house that we could adapt, came up to Weardale a bit tentatively then saw this house and knew it was perfect. It had such a lovely atmosphere."

It also has stunning views across the dale in all directions.

The Gang is very much part of the family. "They're always with us. They come shopping, have lunch out, go to concerts at school, band practice with Steve - who conducts Stanhope Silver Band - come to church or events at the Institute with me, visit friends. The whole point of living as a family is to give them a chance to do these things."

The care couldn't even stop when Michelle gave birth to her children.

"I tried to make arrangements for them to be looked after elsewhere, but as I couldn't predict the exact day I was going into labour, the system couldn't cope."

It's a very challenging job and involves not just Steve and Michelle but now their three children as well.

"Your personal life isn't your own - it's a bit like living on a commune really - and yes, it can be very stressful, especially with one of the people we had in the early days. You have to be rock solid as a family otherwise it would be impossible. And I'm really proud of the way the children cope. They're brilliant."

"On the other hand, because we've chosen to do this job, it meant Steve and I also had the chance to be at home with our children, so it's worked that way too. And it's all been made a lot easier because of the people up here. Our neighbours, people in the village and in church have been lovely. They've got to know John, Kathleen and Tracy as people and accepted them as individuals. I don't think it would be as easy in a big town to get that response."

Steve and Michelle have 28 days of the year when The Gang stay with their families or with other carers.

"That's our one real chance of family time, just us, and we make the most of it. It's something most families just take for granted but for us it's very special."

As if she didn't have enough to fill her time, Michelle has been treasurer of the Women's Institute for ten years, runs the Sunday school - "Only it's on Thursdays. We do lots of craft things based on Bible stories and go on trips" - is involved with amateur dramatics, is a volunteer at school, is chairman of the trust for Ireshopeburn Literary Institute and does masses of fund raising. "For the school, for the church for the Institute and for World Vision, especially through the Alternative Gift Catalogue. At a party in the Institute, instead of giving the children yet more Christmas presents when they already have so much, we used the money to buy a village in Africa a herd of goats instead. Different."

The trouble is, she says, that she always has to be busy.

"I can't just sit still and watch television. I'd be itching to get up and do something and I'm not going to change now. But every morning when I wake up and I think of where I live and my family and everything in my life, and all the things I have chance to do, I just think I'm so lucky."