what do you do for work?

[Vigilias]

I am self employed.

I am an hareldic genealogist and artist. Some people think that means I fiddle with womens lady parts and draw pictures of them lol !

Noooooo, I trace peoples familliar coats of arms using official publications, interpret the Blazonry , or the technical Norman French and Latin technical language of heraldry to reproduce that persons coat of arms if their family had one registered. If not I can offer to create a brand new one but always point out that it isn't official. Only the Royal College of Arms has the authority to issue and confirm coats of arms in the UK.

I paint the coats of arms on to wooden plaques of varias shapes and sizes. I also paint Royal Heraldry and Regimental badges for clubs, pubs and various associations.

I recently sold a large coat of arms of the new Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (Prince William and Kate Middleton) to a pub of the same name. The pub was actually named after the original Duke of Cambridge, Adolphus, Duke of Teck, the brother of Queen Mary (But he had to give up his German titles first!). Still, I wasn't too concerned about the technical details, the pub wasn't. They changed their pub sign to that of Prince William soon after his wedding.

I took on a £250 commission three weeks before Christmas and bust a gut to get it ready by the deadline (23rd December) which I did, only for the client to plead "Cash Flow Problems" when I turned up to deliver it.

I've been there before and get a 50% non refundable deposit before I even begin a new work and I don't hand over the completed product until payment has been received. After all I did the work, the least the client can do is pay me!!!