Standing beside her fish van in -2 degrees at Saltcoats Market on Saturday may have been a far cry from the tropical temperatures air hostess Bernadette McQuade was used to.

But she was all smiles as she is now flying high as her own boss after enduring a turbulent few months.

The Ardrossan woman’s world was turned upside down in August when she was grounded and made redundant after 22 years flying all around the world as part of British Airway’s worldwide cabin crew, specialising in long haul flights.

“None of the crew could believe we were facing redundancy,” said Bernadette.

“It’s all I had ever done and I loved it, the people, the amazing countries I visited.

“It was hard to imagine what I was going to do and being in lockdown felt strange enough without having no job.”

But Bernadette’s fiancé Douglas Mackenzie, a North Sea trawlerman, suggested they go hand in hand into a new business venture and Ayrshire’s Wee Fish Van was born.

“After being at a loose end for some time all of a sudden, within weeks, I had turned 50, got engaged to my Douglas and we had decided to launch a mobile fish van,” beamed the mum-of-two.

“Once we secured the van, it was all systems go and we get the fish direct from the fishermen in Peterhead.

“Douglas is away weeks at a time out on the Ocean Harvester, so I have had to learn quickly not only about fish but about running a business too.”

Bernadette’s fish van covers North Ayrshire and she has become a lifeline to many people who are shielding during the pandemic.

She said: “A lot of people can’t go to the supermarkets and I know a lot of people thought I was crazy to start a business during lockdown but being able to provide a service to people who are confined to barracks at home is rewardin. For some of my customers, I am the only person they talk to all day. I’m loving it.

“I found it hard to know what my future held for me, I knew I had to do something and getting out and about in the community that I love is a dream job – the second one I have landed in my lifetime.”

Ayrshire’s Wee Fish Van covers Kilwinning, Dalry, Beith, Kilbirnie and Glengarnock on Tuesdays she heads to The Three Towns on Wednesdays and on Thursdays the wee van is off to West Kilbride, Seamill and Largs before hitting Saltcoats Outdoor Market on Saturdays.

Have you changed career direction during lockdown? Did you take redundancy and set up your dream business venture? We want to hear from you.