The new president of Garstang Soroptimists hated exams - but somehow she found herself embarking on a career in the public service, passing several A levels and O levels, gaining a degree in psychology and even passing a diploma in management studies.
She said: "The thing that always amazes me is that the girl who left school at 16 seems to have spent time seeking out more exams to take. My career path appears to have been chosen for me."
Born in Blackpool, Annemarie lived all her life on the Fylde coast before moving to Garstang nine years ago. When she left school she joined the civil service and immediately began a day release programme at Blackpool Technical College to study for the executive officer exam to become a clinical assistant.
After passing the exam, she waited for a posting, but at the time all the vacancies were in the south and she had just married and was starting a family.
She said: "My first child overtook the posting and I didn't want to move down south. I had Sharon, my daughter, and then went back to work, and then my son Stuart was born.
"My intention was to go back to work again but after he was born we found that he had a very severe heart defect. He needed major heart surgery and that was it - I then felt I couldn't leave him. It was as if he was a new born baby again."
And that is when Annemarie decided to become a child-minder. Following that, she became involved with the local play group and became a play group leader.
She said: "I loved working with young children. I could be at home with my own two children, but I also enjoyed experiencing the differences the other children used to bring.
"I'd had no interest in looking after children before. It's strange how these things take your life in a different direction."
Annemarie discovered an interest in child development, and following the births of children Mandy and Jamie, she decided to go back to college and study for A-levels.
Whilst studying psychology, her lecturer persuaded her to apply to study for a pschology degree at what was then Preston Polytechnic, and she graduated in 1982.
She said: "I started before my youngest child started school. I had four children under 11 and was the most 'mature' student on the course! My proudest day was when I attended my graduation ceremony with all my children watching.
"My aim in doing the degree was to become a teacher so I could fit in with the family. But the plan went horribly wrong."
When the teacher training programme was revised by education secretary Sir Keith Joseph, Annemarie found that her psychology degree meant she was ineligible to go on to train to be a teacher.
She felt like somebody had pulled the rug from under her feet, but as fate would have it, she saw an advert for a 'nusery, play group, child-minder organiser' shortly afterwards, and decided to apply.
Her appointment to the post marked the start of her professional life in the regulation of social care, initially for young children in nurseries, play groups and child-minding facilities, and later to include services for older children, adults and the elderly.
Annemarie's work included registering all child-minding groups, play groups and nurseries and developing a training package for child minders.
She continued: "The training package brought people together and gave them a sense of purpose and identity.
At the time child minding was regarded as an 'anybody can do it' job, but if you want a good service and children properly looked after people need support and training.
"My career took me places. Things changed and evolved. I look back and feel that I was doing a worthwhile job and I certainly enjoyed it."
Annemarie became team leader of the Inspection Unit in Blackpool in 1991 and then area manager for the National Care Standards Commission in North Lancashire.
She moved to Garstang following her second marriage, and when she retired three years ago she took on voluntary work, including becoming a volunteer advocate for the Wyre and Fylde advocacy service, and a school governor.
She is involved in a literacy support scheme at Forton School, which has given her the chance to return to working directly with young children.
Chance
When a friend in Morecambe told her about the Soroptimists, Annemarie quickly took up the chance to meet new friends at the Garstang branch of the international organisation.
She said: "It's really made a difference to my life. The meetings are very social and I have much enjoyed that side of it."
Annemarie is hoping to encourage more people to join the organisation for professional women which works to advance the human rights and status of women throughout the world.
Although soroptimists spend a lot of time raising money for projects, from local to worldwide, she enjoys the fact that involvement is not just passive but active as well, and likes getting involved in schemes throughout the area.
She said: "We put together comfort bags for women who have been involved in human trafficking and have been selling ribbons to support the UK Human Trafficking Centre in Sheffield.
"We are also involved in projects with the countryside rangers and the council and have a full programme of speakers and social events planned for the coming year.
"I was not aware of what the Soroptimists did until I joined, but now I am particularly interested in any education-based projects for women in particular. So many more women than men don't have the opportunity to have access to education and I feel it is important to try to improve that."
Annemarie's chosen charity is Croston House, partly because it is local and partly because one of her closest friends died of cancer last year.
Her younger sister is also fighting the third return of her cancer in six years, and Annemarie says she understands how important and invaluable the support of organisations like Croston house are to both the sufferers and their families.
She added: "Although I'm a bit nervous I'm looking forward to this year, and looking forward to all the new people I will meet at regional meetings and making new friends outside Garstang."

The Garstang branch of the Soroptimists meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month at Garstang Country hotel and Golf Club and the secretary can be contacted on 01253 790886. Visit www.soroptimist-gbi.org for more information.