SchoolsofNursing.co.uk

Site News
Dec 2019/Jan 2020
(Vol 14 Issue 1) 

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Welcome to our fifty-first news page here at Schools of Nursing.   This is our first issue this year and final issue for 2019 & first for 2020. Happy New Year and hope that your Christmas was what you sought.  Much preparatory work also always takes place in the background - researching possible content; collating (and sometimes writing) articles; grammar and spell checking; plus preparing photographs, obtaining permissions where appropriate and a whole myriad of activities before we even get around to things like layout.  Photographs added from Windows programs are often the wrong format and need conversion. But, We do our best and acknowledge our occasional shortcomings!

And we do have one or two. Please - if you do see errors, just say so, I will be offended and remove them asap!!

The article links in this column - Three from Will B - 'Badge Manufacturers' and 'Nurse belts & buckles & Badges' - one continued from Sue Barker - photographs in progress (Ann Braddick) are below.

1. Schools of Nursing NEWS PAGE 51 - 'A News Page Outline' - is a brazen attempt to show the origins of schoolsofnursing.co.uk - hopefully it will be of interest - Link.

2. Badge manufacturers and their Maker Marks. (No Change)
Link.

3. Miss Ann Braddick - Military Nurse/Hospital Matron - QA/Bristol Southmead Hospital/Matron  St John's Hospital, Towbridge, Wilts. Link

4. Nurse Belts and Buckles.
 *(New addition - SEN Belt/Buckle) Link.

The Nursing badges public gallery 
We now have 3 galleries which are open to the public without login.  Barry Sutton's gallery is en-route.  They take a LOT of time:-

1. Eric's Gallery - The original and much neglected gallery still awaiting update.
CLICK LINK...
2. Peter's 'backman' gallery - 50 pages of 24 badges per page and 1250 pages  - (2400 photographs). CLICK LINK...
3. Mike's 'myk1066' gallery - 17)pages of 24 badges per page and 34 pages - (816 photographs) *with more in progress.
CLICK LINK...  
4. **Barry Sutton's gallery is now en-route and updates will follow as soon as possible - many more badges - en-route....

(*Temporarily - You may need to use your browser 'back' button to get back here).

Our original aim is unchanged.  'Individual hospital/school locations have been (and are still being) added; badge shapes; materials used; badge weights; type of fixings; central design (picture) ; inscriptions on the rear (nurse names/dates/maker marks/hallmarks where applicable); designer/s; manufacturers; number made; and dates first awarded are all salient points in our quest being addressed'. Reverse sides being added to each badge wherever we have the photographs.

In short, everyone who has agreed to our publishing a public gallery will have one - using their own photographs wherever possible. We must surely have a copy of almost every UK nursing/hospital badge ever produced.

Click a badge photograph to see the single page!  The links can take you back and forward - a page at a time (24 badges per page) - for all 1310 pages if you like.  Or go to the 'Gallery Start" page at the bottom of any individual badge to get back to the numbered 24 badge page. Sound complicated but you will quickly get the hang of it - promise!

Email messages - Training Transcripts - Qualified Nurses.
In our experience it has not been possible for nurses seeking transcripts from schools which no longer exist to obtain copies. However, we can offer a couple of links which may help in your search, *But please note: We simply cannot respond to transcript requests individually:- 

http://www.nmc-uk.org/Registration/Leaving-the-register/Planning-to-work-overseas-Obtaining-a-copy-of-your-transcript-of-training/ 
http://www.rcn.org.uk/development/rcn_archives/research_advice_-_tracing_nurses/nursing_records
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ 
Member Photograph Galleries.
Still accumulating, albeit now more slowly. The 'National' galleries now contain 5909 nursing/hospital badge photographs encompassing all areas of the UK; 594 photographs (buildings/people/ephemera); and 178 photographs (nurse uniforms), both civilian and military. We have achieved 6681 already! By the end of 2020?  7000 is a target. It is possible. We continue to make solid progress and will perhaps achieve the largest collection in the UK, if we are not already there. New additions continue, albeit slowly...
 


National Galleries
-
Member Uploads

Photographic rights

nursesue@SoN

 

 Craig Dunain Hospital
Scotland

Inverclyde & Bute
 College of Nursing & Midwifery

We are now at 6681 - 7000 now seems a definite possibility. We are well on the way and just maybe, we will see another magic number shortly, thanks to our many contributors. And it is not just a matter of quantity but rather a combination of quantity and quality. The quality of additions made to the site - both in the way of photographs and contributions to our forum has created an irreplaceable contribution to nursing history. We can now claim to have a mini photographic museum here at schoolsofnursing. Sincere, heartfelt, thanks...

But the photographs are not our be all/end all. Our online articles (42) are gaining too, to say nothing of our nursing histories and news pages. There is a great deal of research involved. Someone's time. Someone's money. All given selflessly without thought of gain. What we have here are the seeds of success.

But please, don't break copyrights when uploading/sending photographs. If you are ever uncertain please ask us. Most copyright holders we have met so far have been only to keen to assist.

And if you want to join - welcome to the Forum and Member Galleries -
Register Here.

Failed Registration. Please be aware, our site is rated on Google by Norton Internet Security as being absolutely safe. *We intend to keep it that way. You can help by using a reasonable ID and your own genuine email address. Anything that appears dubious may result in failed registration. Our site is free to users. It is hosted by the largest ISP in Europe at commercial rates - with highly professional back-up. Safe and secure!


Worldwide..
Certainly our visitors are wide ranging - from 44 countries worldwide... Australia & New Zealand and Canada are well represented in addition to the UK and USA. There are also some more esoteric sounding countries - China; Russia; Cayman Islands; Japan; Malaysia; plus Romania and Spain.

E-Mail Contact - 'contact' link (here and throughout the site) arrives directly on the webmaster's desk. Use it to communicate directly with the site. All mail is considered confidential unless the contents are stated to be otherwise. Stated to be for public consumption by you. Publication itself is an editorial decision. **Please note that we cannot supply transcripts of training.

Collecting... Buckles and Buckles - and more buckles...

Last time I said "
It is only in recent months that the subject of belt buckles has gained any real prominence herein.  But oh', what prominence these buckles have reached... I thought that buckle had reached their zenith with the arrival of that absolutely stunning St Bartholomew's' buckle in the August collectors' column.  I also noted that just when I thought that I had nothing further to offer "fate takes a hand and drags me to another badge - or in this case, buckle".  I really did not think that any collector could surpass last month's buckle - it just defied the realms of possibility - or maybe I should say 'gravity', because lo' it just happened again!"

Because "lo' it just happened again!" 

Yes, A genuine solid silver St Thomas' Hospital 'Nightingale' nurse belt buckle.... For me!  For Christmas.  Aw gee, so many thanks Santa.  In fact I cannot thank you enough!


The Silver hallmarks of Toye & Spencer clear.

The hallmarks hallmark positioning of on the rear of two badges (last month upper/current badge lower) differ.

copyright backman@SoN


So is it now mine?  I should be so lucky.. No - the first went to another SoN Collector, so at least it is in the family still!

Here is what Peter (backman) said on his website when selling this one:-


click for more images

Nightingale School of Nursing,Silver Nurses Buckle
An Extremely rare silver nurses belt buckle from St Thomas's Hospital, Nightingale School of Nursing. The rectangular design bears the central components of the arms of the hospital, namely a shield with a cross, the upper quarter bearing a sword for the emblem of London. This is topped by a rose flanked by two Fleurs de Lys. Height 63mm ,width 48mm The separate clasp is absent. It bears hallmarks for T&S (Toye & Spencer, Birmingham 1954).

*Nb. Part of the clasp, shown in this picture, is unfortunately absent - see Images below.

Well I might had never seen one before - but now I have seen two - and this second one is mine, at least for a while. The rear clasp is not included.. but a lot better than not having a buckle at all...

Back to the buckle - have a closer look at the reverse sides...

The first example (Lt) is Very Fine - overall Pristine.

Unfortunately part of the clasp is missing on the second example (Rt).
The fixings do appear Original and the hallmarks differ.

 *Original without a doubt, plus, the hallmarks are clearly positioned by hand.

(NB. The slight curvature of the top edge I believe is photo distortion)

copyright backman@SoN

What of the original box?  For myself that would be a is a real bonus.  Not many nursing badge boxes survive intact - with an original Nightingale buckle too? Well I do have a buckle now... But am unlikely to find a box...  But if I do - here it is a facsimile:-

copyright backman@SoN

"The original ownership of Nursing buckles is not easily traced - perhaps even impossible, The market for buckles such as the Nightingale's Herein a rarity. It is possible that this situation may improve, though I suspect also that should it do so, the prices are equally likely to render them generally inaccessible".

Ok. So what do I wish for now?....

Forever an optimist (please read 'Glutton!) -  How about this? - The memorabilia - including badges et al, and scrapbook of Miss Barbara Tyler - one time Assistant Matron at St Thomas' hospital - LINK

The last  owner I know of lived in the USA and had said that he would never allow Miss Tyler's memorabilia to return to the UK, But who knows. if anything ever caused me sadness in my collecting career it has to be that....

Imagine, that there seemed nothing more to collect after this last Nightingale buckle. So you gave up collecting and took up growing turnips (!) - but you only had a rented first floor flat!  Forgive yourself? You never would!.. And neither would your landlord.... But then, that isn't very likely, is it? Best carry on collecting!
WB.

 

Another photograph from the past

Badge blurred - No colour to help identify the badge

*Training Hospitals/Details *Link

*Sincere thanks to SoN member 'backman' for the supply of this photograph. I wonder if this photograph  can still be identified? It is really so long ago..  Perhaps a descendant or friend of will appear with a name - but it does seem only a very remote possibility.

Well, that is yet another very pleasant note upon which to end the 46th Schools of Nursing Site News.

 

Would you like to see your PTS or training group featured here? We desperately need more photographs to feature. Can you help?  If so please Contact us.
 

We express our grateful appreciation to those people who have contributed the original photographs
used to produce the News Pages.

1. News heading photo (all dates) - John Reeves
2. Bristol Southmead Gold (April) - John Reeves
3. St Bartholomew's Gold (April) - Ruth Watkin-Jones
4. Haygarth Silver (April) - 'ukhistory' (ebay)
5. Newcastle LS (April) - Peter Backman (Nursing badges)
6. RRC Medal (April)  photo's- 'Caulgisbo' (ebay)
8. 'catandfrog' (July) - (ebay).
9. bokojnr (Dec) - (ebay).
10. blue.bottle (Dec) - (ebay).
11. 'backman' - (ebay).*
12. Hotminicooper (Jun) - (ebay).
13. Right-one50 (Oct - (ebay).
14. jcollinsmedals (Dec - (ebay).
15. Brittania Medals (Dec 2009).
16. elaine3080 (Feb 2010) - (ebay).
17. Fran Biley (Feb 2010) - schoolsofnursing.
18. St Andrews Children's Hospice - Grimsby.
19.themedalcentre - (ebay).
 20. Christmas 1923 - Eric Wilkinson, schoolsofnursing.
21. past-modern - (ebay).
22. susie1156 - (ebay).
23. redsunshine525 - (ebay).
24. nbarton8 - (ebay).
25. magpieantics - (ebay)
26. rayofhope0 - (ebay).
27. Anotherluckyb - (ebay).
28. Helen M Coan.
29. yazandlaz - (ebay).
30. delroyb - (ebay).
31. Burmeseblue - (ebay).
32. amersham417 - (ebay).
33.Bethesda - (ebay).
34. nikkibarnard - (ebay).
35. madeinireland - ebay.
36. jamesmcg - (ebay).
37. pugwash - schoolsofnursing.
38. Sarah Rogers - schoolsofnursing.
 
40. Bill, schoolsofnursing.
41.
alastaircox - (ebay).
42. Margaret Maxwell - (ebay).
43. soisjack - (ebay).
44. blubberlover - (ebay).
45. the collectique - (ebay).
46.
mandacollectables@hotmail.co.uk
47. Dart Silver Lid - ebay
48. 'gawincole' - ebay
49. Dr Patricia Mumford
50.
dedsure@yahoo.com
51.
steve@lloy.ball
52.
R STRINGFELLOW@ebay
53
.bobstish1709@ebay
54.
phillipsbay@ebay.
54.
backintday@ebay).
55.
sallybosley.com
56. armyoutfitters@ebay.com
57. The Welcome Institutue
58. Val Smyth.
59. Rebbeca D.
60. 'backman'@schoolsofnursing.

All Copyrights are Asserted

 
 
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