Welcome all to my first blog, ever! Although quite daunting it is also exciting at the same time to (hopefully!) reach out to those that want to know more about the BSL/English interpreting profession and deaf community by providing relevant news, information and blogs that’ll keep you coming back and looking for more…. I am Catherine Hannah Hall – hence the, ‘CHH’ Interpreting bit. Have a look at my picture to get a rough idea of what I look like but to be honest comparing that picture with my NRCPD photo ID badge….perhaps the camera does lie after all! CHH Interpreting is my business. I am a one-woman band, self employed and live in the centre of Exeter (Devon) but everyday I am used to and enjoy travelling all over the South West area. Although a Bristolian at heart I love living in Devon and getting out and about either on the beach or to the countryside. I have not always been a British Sign Language / English Interpreter. When I first graduated from Cardiff University I started my working life as a Transport Planner and worked for an international engineering company for 5 years. Whilst it was a good job and helped me gain valuable life experience, in the words of Bono, I felt like – “I still hadn’t found what I was looking for.” Being a keen runner I went to a running club in Bristol and met a deaf lady there. Thank you AWA – you know who you are :). I was unable to communicate with her very well, apart from the odd gesturing and smiles. This encounter encouraged me to learn BSL Level 1 and I was instantly intrigued by the language, how it differed from English and learning about deaf culture. From then I haven’t looked back and continued to do Levels 2 and 3 before completing a postgraduate Diploma at the University of Central Lancashire in BSL/English Interpreting and Translation. So, in a nutshell, that’s how I went from being a Transport Planner to a British Sign Language / English Interpreter. I have started blogging to provide more information and awareness about the BSL interpreting profession, what we do and the issues that we sometimes face. News and information about the deaf community will, of course, also be featuring within these blogs which I hope will be useful to know if you work, or know of, a deaf person, or just have a general interest in the deaf community and their language. Sign Language Interpreting is still a relatively new profession and therefore new challenges are inevitably on the horizon which I hope to share with you and offer my opinion and of course, welcome yours. At the end of every blog there will be a ‘Leave a reply’ box, so please do! Alternatively, have a look at my ‘Contact’ page to the ← left.