Edie reminiscing about her days as a nurse

“Since I was at school, all I ever wanted to be was a nurse. I remember reading books about missionary work – about a couple of ladies who had given most of their lives to helping people abroad – and I used to think that I’d really like to do that.

During the war, when I was still in school, I read about girls my age in war-torn places like Poland and France. I dreamed of helping people in such dire situations, but I was too young to start my training then.

Later on, when I started a family, there was no childcare available, and most women stayed at home with their children. But I discussed it with my husband, and he said, ‘Go ahead, if you get the chance, I’m with you on that.’ I couldn’t have done it without him.

After three years of training, I qualified as a staff nurse in the children’s ward, and later became a ward sister. Then I moved to the East Coast and got a job as a district nurse, where I stayed for 25 years. I didn’t retire until I was sixty-nine, and I loved every minute of it.”