Thanks for all the suggestions, ladies.

I do need a job that pays quite well, and sadly the UK doesn't value scientists and people in further education as much as Australia obviously does! Very few school jobs pay well if you're not a teacher too. It sucks! (If I taught just at college then I'd not be eligable to teach in a school, but would only get about £15-16k. Lab assistant in a uni, I'd be on about £14k pa, full-time - including working in the Uni holidays. Teaching assistant, £10-14k pa depending on how specialised you are.)

I have applied for a PA job that's full-time, but £24-27k a year: I'm hoping that I can do that for a year and get a mortgage on it, then maybe sort out something that pays less but is school-time only, like science prep staff or teaching assistant. That's about £10-14k over here. I need to be on more than £20k.

Hospital lab work is band 4-7: band 7 starts at £20k, but that's the head of the lab.

To be a genetic counsellor I need another two-year degree for which I will receive no funding, also it's a job I have said I would refuse to do until I've finished my family. Last thing a childless couple/couple who are considering termination for severe genetic illness need is a blooming radiant pg woman talking to them about it. But if a job came up locally I wouldn't turn it down!

I'd like to be paid well to write: guess I'll have to knock out a novel in my spare time!