Western Mail, 11th May 2010
We ask the women of Wales which prize possessions they trasure most. This week: Melanie Hamer, 44, is a partner at Cardiff-based Wendy Hopkins Family Law Practice. She lives in Pentyrch, Cardiff.
• I started to wear glasses when I was studying for my law degree finals in 1986. At the time I had huge Deirdre Barlow-style ones that used to pinch on my nose and my ears. I now wear daily disposable contact lenses that I pop in first thing in the morning and then take out last thing at night before I go to sleep. I actually forget I have bad eyesight with these.
• As a busy divorce lawyer and mother of two young children there are never enough hours in the day – time is my most precious commodity. My hands-free mobile kit means I can conduct business in my car to and from work, thereby saving some precious time.
• I have been completely converted to an automatic car since February last year. With the increased traffic in Cardiff during rush hour, I was finding the manual gearbox and clutch control quite exhausting. With the automatic car, it almost drives itself.
• I never go to bed early enough and Touche Eclat is fabulous at masking the shadows under my eyes – apparently all the top models wear it. I don’t wear foundation and therefore Touche Eclat is invaluable.
• A number of years ago my husband bought me a Mont Blanc fountain pen for Christmas. The ink flows freely and never scratches the paper. In court we have to write very quickly to keep up with the judge and this pen just glides over the paper enabling me to write more speedily and legibly.