[NV020] : Gwen at St George's 1951-1956

Gwen: St George's 1951-1956
Click photo to read and
listen to her story

Gwen was born March 1933 an only child. Her parents moved from London to Dorset in 1939. She wanted to be a nurse and would not be dissuaded.

Gwen was fairly near the top in her exams. However, towards the end of her second year she had some misgivings and wondered if she was doing the right thing. Gwen received one award of merit, although they didn’t have the ceremony until 1956, because they had to do a year’s staffing before they got the medals

Gwen worked as a Sister at the Atkinson Morley Hospital and shortly afterwards, got married. She stayed for about nine months at AMH. Then her husband got the chance of a job in a new town, Harlow, which meant a house as well, so they moved and started a family.

There wasn’t a hospital in Harlow. She did Family Planning Association training and worked in local family planning clinics

She subsequently worked part-time on outpatients in Harlow and as the family grew, she returned to full-time nursing, and became a Sister on a surgical ward. [NV020]

To read & listen to Gwen's experiences whilst at St George's please click on Gwen's Story