Medicine

Michael Bamber

My name is Michael Bamber and I was born in Liverpool, the elder of two children of a skin doctor and his somewhat younger wife. I was educated in Liverpool and when I was seventeen or eighteen, my father said, `What are you going to do`? I said that I had no idea. He replied, `At your age I was in the trenches in 1916`. I said that it was now 1966 to which he responded, ` Don`t be impertinent !` and returned to reading the newspaper. A fortnight later I was asked the same question. This time I answered, `Medicine`. `God help us ! ` he said. Read more....

Winifred Fairchild

My name is Winifred Annie Fairchild. I was a Watson before I was married. I was born in Woolsthorpe and I had one sister and five brothers. My brothers were Frank, Harry, Len who was twin to Mary, Les and Charlie. Len is the only brother still alive. We all lived together in this small cottage down in the old village that only had two bedrooms. My mother and father and the two girls had one bedroom and the five boys had the other. When we came to live in one of the council houses up the Woolsthorpe Road, it was lovely. There were three bedrooms, one for mum and dad, one for Mary and I and the boys had the big one. We thought it was marvellous. Read more....

Dora Farley

I was born at Woolsthorpe at No. 4 Beeson`s Row. My Mum and Dad came round on bikes when they were courting and saw it was to let and they never lived anywhere else. All three of their daughters were born there, Marjorie, Beryl and Dora. There was 7 years and 1 month between each one. I am the only one left now. My dad came from Buckminster. He lived at the farm on the right up the Woolsthorpe Road and my mum came from Gunby. They were married at Gunby. I went to Colsterworth School at the age of 5, my sister would take me. Later I went to work at the Rectory. This was after Mary Stedman`s time there. The rector was the Rev. (later Canon) Barraclough. He was here 1942-1960. The Barracloughs were lovely to work for and treated me very well, although she did not mix with people in the village. I was paid 1 2s 6d per week. I did not live in but came to work to start at 9 a.m.. I stayed with them until I was married when I left and then I was a housewife. Read more....

Dr Eric Stafford

My name is Eric John Stafford and I was born on July 3rd 1925 in a little village called Crick in Monmouthshire, South Wales. I was a farmer's son but at sixteen and a half years of age I decided to have a go at medicine and so I went to Guys Hospital in London as a medical student in 1941 when the war was on. The first year I was evacuated to Tunbridge Wells after which I was still in Kent but came back to Guys for lectures. I got to know all about doodle bugs and those sort of things and we had to help deal with the casualties. Read more....

Linda Wilson

My name is Linda Wilson nee Gracey and I was brought up in Northern Ireland but born in Glasgow. I have travelled all over Europe and as far as the Lebanon. At the age of 18 I went to Switzerland as an au pair. Originally I wanted to teach ecology but I ended up on the wards nursing. I loved nursing, especially nursing the elderly. I understand that many nurses are people born under the sign of Taurus, as I was. We are supposed to be caring and motherly. My first hospital was the Ulster Hospital in Belfast which is in the suburbs unlike the Victoria Hospital which is in the centre of the town. I was an auxiliary nurse. Read more....