Watts, Ela – You can always count on Ela

Ela Watts (b1952)

GRAVITY FM and Belvoir Radio presenter Ela Watts was born Elaine Ivy May in Harrow Street, Grantham, and attended local schools, Spittlegate Primary, followed by Kesteven and Grantham Girls’ School.

On leaving school she joined the Midland Bank (later HSBC) until she left to start a family. While bringing up her children, she developed her accountancy qualifications, first through Clarendon College, Nottingham, and then becoming a chartered certified accountant at Nottingham Trent University.

She set up her own business, Accountability, which she sold in 1994, the year she joined Mensa. Ela joined Rathbone Associates in Lincoln and also engaged in a project helping Lincolnshire businesses with planning and development through funding support from the European Social Fund.  After a period as a finance lecturer, Ela then took the role of regional finance and IT manager for the British Red Cross followed by six years in a similar position with Leonard Cheshire Disability.

In 2006 Ela set up EW Accounting which has since merged with PAD Tax Services. Most recently Ela has also worked for Hood, Parkes and Co in Grantham.

Ela has also been seen on Channel 4’s A Week in Politics talking about tax breaks for women and has been heard on Gravity FM, Radio Belvoir, BBC Radio Nottingham (Loose Ladies), RTE Pulse and on Newark’s Boundary Sound.

Ela’s interests include singing and she is a member of Grantham Singers and Grantham’s Rock Choir. With the Rock Choir, Ela has appeared as part of a backing choir for G4 and in Sam Bailey’s official music video for Sing My Heart Out.