Never Argue with a Matron: Adventures in Twentieth-Century Nursing

This memoir recounts the extraordinary adventures of an ordinary nurse who served in various roles across the globe for 38 years.

This is the account of a very ordinary woman who, during a 38-year career in nursing, had many exciting and far-from-ordinary adventures. Nursing was not always easy, as evidenced in various episodes, not least, during training, visits to matron with broken thermometers and later, stressful times when newly qualified, and during midwifery. There were exciting months as a Nursing Sister on board the P&O liner 'Oriana' followed by a few years as a domiciliary midwife in Liverpool, culminating in nineteen years serving in Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps.

They include the tale of a Christian Dior necklace, one of owning a rowing boat while a pupil midwife in Plymouth, and world exploration with the Merchant Navy. QA Postings included Hong Kong, Nepal, Germany and Cyprus, the latter working with the Royal Air Force at Princess Mary's RAF Hospital, Akrotiri. Several flights were great privileges, one in a Shackleton, one with the Red Arrows, one in a Lightning, and one in a helicopter, having been winched up from the deck of a Landing Craft at sea.