Up close and personal: Alice Belfield

You know the name, now get to know the person! Alice Belfield, head of software at AJS, talks about her love of pop music, airfryers, and watching Mrs Doubtfire

How and when did you start your career in the industry?

I started in textiles on my placement year in 2015, and spent the last three years in garment decoration, focusing on helping to support operators on their software and machines. I’ve always been an advocate of trying different things and kept up with networking, and it was one of those situations where one thing kept leading onto another – everything happens for a reason!

What’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you at work?

It’s difficult to highlight one thing as I’ve been fortunate to have various opportunities in the roles I’ve done. It’s also led me to visit different places, and meet and visit various customers.

Which three words would your friends use to describe your personality?

Bubbly, determined and kind.

What’s your favourite film?

I would have to say Mrs Doubtfire – it always has me in stitches of laughter!

Salt and vinegar or cheese and onion?

Cheese and onion, ideally with a glass of sauvignon blanc too!

A sporty two-seater with a sun roof is at the top of Alice’s wishlist!

Which tune can’t you get out of your head at the moment?

I’m one of those people who can get any song stuck in my head, but I’m very much a pop princess as my family would say, so anything with a bit of cheer suits me best!

What’s your hidden talent?

I would probably say my music knowledge – thanks to my family’s varied choice of music, I got to hear a lot of different genres, so I’m not bad on the music rounds on pub quizzes.

What’s your greatest ambition?

I’d love one day to have a second car (ideally something sporty with only two seats and a sun roof!) to go on weekends away. A holiday home somewhere sunny in Europe wouldn’t go amiss either!

What’s your guilty pleasure?

I love a bit of reality TV – I find I can switch off better, and it’s always filled with some sort of drama! I am an avid fan of most genres, but I’ve always got to have a nice easy-watch series at the same time.

Alice’s air fryer has been a game-changer

What other job have you always wanted to do?

I used to be a real bookworm as a child. I would read at least one or two books a week, and so I liked the idea of being a fiction author. Although, now I’ve switched and I tend to listen to audiobooks!

Where is the best place you’ve ever visited?

New York in December. I was 17, and felt like a child again getting excited for Christmas! Unfortunately it didn’t snow, as that would have been the cherry on top of the Christmas cake!

Which gadget or app couldn’t you live without?

It would have to be the air fryer. It’s been a real game-changer in our household.

If you could ask one person (living or dead) one question, what would you ask?

Game of Thrones author George R R Martin: how do you do it? How did the idea develop, and what made you think of the plots? It’s clearly impossible for me to stick to one question, but I am intrigued how fiction writers think of these fantasy worlds!