finding old!!

[Magpie]

51 years ago today 80 of us joined The Queen Elizabeth School of nursing in Birmingham as excited mainly 18 year olds. About 20 of us were on the experimental SRN/RSCN course.Little did we know what we were signing up for on that 4 year contract!!
We lived in 2 large houses in Edgbaston as PTS nurses, all dying to get onto the wards until our introductory visits loomed and we actually arrived shaking at The Childrens Hospital. It all seemed so big but one thing that struck us all on one of our reunions was how small it actually was.
We slept in dormitories, learnt to make up our uniform and fold those caps and polish our shoes to pass the inspections by our Tutors.
The food was pretty grim, I've never been able to think about pineapple jam and marg since. My mother used to send wonderful food parcels with her delicious homemade cakes and jam as did other mothers, all eagerly shared amongst friends.
The knowledge we learnt about bandaging,anatomy, nutrition,arithmetic etc stood me in stead throughout my long career.
We had one lonely male nurse in our set who survived all of our teasing and comments - where are you David McKay?
Those were the days of split shifts, in by 10.30pm and a late pass until midnight once a week.
Friendships were made which have lasted ever since, they were happy days looking back.

[nursesue]

ooh Maggie what a great post I would have loved to have trained at the QE in Brum but alas my O level grades weren't good enough so settled on Good Hope in Sutton Coldfield I did work at BCH as an auxillary nurse in theatres for about 12 months in 1979 and remember the combined course students well.  I remember envying them so much - a combined course for dual qualification and at the QE!!! You are so lucky Don't suppose you have a photo of those heady days that you could share with us??
sue x

[Magpie]

Thanks for that Sue (are you the Sue that I keep buying badges from ? I'm Douro****)Have been racking my brains to think of the name of one of the Tutors who lived in our house in PTS who had come from Good Hope a Miss ??? but we scared her witless one night by doing a raid on another room with sheets over our heads and wailing!!!
Do you remember Sr Evans in Theatres? She told me how well I'd done and said she'd have me back as a S/N, a rare honour then she found out I was going out with one of the Drs and gave me a dreadful report and I had to go before Miss Woods the Matron.
I have got some photos but they are ones obviously from years ago and I'm such a technophobe I don't know how I would get them on here.
Another dreadful report on nursing today, it's so distressing.I'm glad I trained when I did but only retired 7 yrs ago and now work as hard on so many care and elderly care groups.
Best wishes, Rosemary

[nursesue]

hi and yes i am susie**** The badges that i've sold recently belonged to my mate Lee who is raising Xmas funds!! our director nurse ed was a Miss Jean Waldie and yes she was also ferocious !!!

[Magpie]

Hi Sue
That was her - Miss Waldie, I'ver spent hours trying to think of her name!! She was one scary Tutor but we scared her that night!!
Best wishes
Rosemary