After working in several jobs, later in his working life Ron found his vocation as a member of the caring community at a unit for younger chronic sick people. The most important part of his life was those 20 years he did at the unit. Every day there brought something different, and he met many […]
Medical
Forty-three years of caring (1972-2013)
Hazel trained as a nurse at 18 and had a career as staff nurse, sister, and later deputy theatre manager in Norfolk, Hull and Cambridge. She says that nursing was never boring and it taught her about life in a way that no other job could do. I started nursing in 1972, just before I […]
From cradle to grave (1972 – 2018)
Nikki recalls her journey in nursing from cradle to grave. She tells about her career starting as a health nursing auxiliary, training at University College Hospital, the training processes and people she met along the way. Nikki transitioned to being a midwife, a district nursing sister, training other district nurses and much more. When I […]
From domestic science to homeopathy – an alternative working life (1957-2015)
Margaret went to domestic science college after leaving school in 1957, but found her real vocation much later in life in homeopathy which she practiced until retiring in 2015. In between these points her roles have included admin, cleaning, running the pastry side of a restaurant, shop work and ten years as a dental nurse. […]
From Nursing to Pharmaceuticals (1941-2006)
As a child during WWII Mary worked picking potatoes and then entered a special programme for training young nurses. She recounts the time when tuberculosis was common and her continuing training at Charing Cross, London. Marriage and children followed and a career change to a more secretarial role after spending time in Italy. I was […]
From the public analyst’s laboratory to books (1959-2011)
Martin had a very busy and varied life working mainly in the Cambridge area and never needed formal qualifications. Jobs ranged from laboratory work at the public analyst’s, paper technology, book printing and delivering pharmaceuticals in the Fens. After retiring he became a very active volunteer in North Norfolk particularly driving, social work at Voyager […]
Head of the Laundry (1956-2000)
Ruby describes her working life in the laundry at Gressenhall. It was very hard work washing all the uniforms and clothes from Beech House and from a children’s home, despite the hydro-electric machinery. In the summer sheets were dried outside. There was a separate machine for Matron’s clothes. I was hired to be head of […]
How working at Beech House led to a new career (1956-1958)
Ann describes working as a ‘nurse’ at Beech House, Gressenhall and how that led to a new career in psychiatric nursing. Working conditions I started work at Beech House at Gressenhall in 1956 and was there till about August 1958. When I was 20 I’d returned home to Swanton Morley. I had worked in horticulture […]
In the Health Service – Nursing and Ambulance (1940s-1971))
Ramus tells us about her nursing training and career in Berlin and after meeting her husband in England working for the London Ambulance Service. Starting work in Berlin My first job was nursing which I began when I was 18 years of age. For the first two years I was paid nothing and my parents […]
Many skills, many interests (1960s-2009)
Maureen describes her incredibly varied working life, including owning a car spares shop, working in a hospital and being at the forefront of national patient information. She was also a co-ordinator for the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. I went to a new type of school. A Technical School. And coming up to the last […]