SchoolsofNursing.co.uk

Site News
January 2015
(Vol 9 Issue 1) 

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Welcome to our Thirty-fifth news page here at Schools of Nursing. Our first edition for 2015.

New Nursing badges public gallery opening at schoolsofnursing.co.uk - update.
When our website was first envisaged (we actually opened November 2007) one of our esteemed members, ('eric') suggested that our photograph galleries, then private, could be made public. A little like Flicker I suppose. The problem was one of security. Leaving the original galleries open to all, including upload ability, meant just that. It was - not then at any rate - an option. But now we are well into making all our galleries both public and secure, thanks to  benevolence of several members who have given permission for the use of their already uploaded photographs. We already have several hundred photographs - and available technical details being prepared for our first public gallery. An enormous task with many hours of work involved.

We still have over 3000 badges to process, and had hoped that we might have some online by Christmas. Unfortunately that was not to be. But our first gallery is well on the way to completion of phase 1 - the badge catalogue. It may take a just a little longer, but it is proceeding well. Watch this space!!

And another three new articles
from Sarah Rogers,Will Burgess and Antony (Tony) Smith. The first
another outstanding Nurse Badge set and Personal  History - Amy Rosalie Scott, 1896-1967. The second a light-hearted look into a personal  member post box; and the third an autobiography (our first) of recent history.

 
http://www.schoolsofnursing.co.uk/Collections1/Collections44
http://www.schoolsofnursing.co.uk/Collections1/Collections45
http://www.schoolsofnursing.co.uk/Collections1/Collections46


The links are all above - enjoy!

Ms Barbara Tyler - St Thomas Hospital - Scrapbook Part 8.
The page 8 of the scrapbook collection of Ms Barbara Tyler - "Assistant Matron-in-Charge at St. Thomas' Hydestile (Godalming, Surrey), when the hospital was moved out of London during the Blitz of 1941" is now complete. We owe our thanks to  - Gina O - who kindly gave us permission to use her original photographs. It is a quite unique collection and we were certainly very privileged to be able to reproduce it

The scrapbook photographs are presented exactly as we received them - the icons above are linked to our own pages in a pseudo-reproduction - leaving a little room for us to perhaps eventually fill in the detail that the nurse creating the original, Ms Tyler, did not need since the scrapbook - and the memories it contains, was for her own use. As with any scrapbook, some of the photographs may well be meaningful only to Ms Tyler, but some are of recognizable, sometimes public figures. All are part of Barbara Tyler's story and are of historic importance as the scrapbook of a past Assistant Matron at St Thomas's Hospital. Especially this one! A glimpse of history. A treasure... PART 8 is here.

Email messages - Training Transcripts - Qualified Nurses.
In our experience it has not been possible for nurses seeking transcripts from schools which no longer exist to obtain copies. However, we can offer a couple of links which may help in your search:-
 
http://www.nmc-uk.org/Registration/Leaving-the-register/Planning-to-work-overseas-Obtaining-a-copy-of-your-transcript-of-training/ 
http://www.rcn.org.uk/development/rcn_archives/research_advice_-_tracing_nurses/nursing_records
http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/ 

Member Photograph Galleries.
Still accumulating, albeit now more slowly. The 'National' galleries now contain 4032 nursing/hospital badge photographs encompassing all areas of the UK; 549 photographs (buildings/people/ephemera); and 121 photographs (nurse uniforms), both civilian and military. Will we achieve 5000 by the end of 2015? It is possible, we continue to make solid progress and will perhaps achieve the largest collection in the UK if we are not already there....
 

National Galleries
-
Member Uploads

Photographic rights
backman@SoN
&
petersnursingcollectables

            Nurses Wallet silver plated tongue depressor, a thermometer in it's  Bakelite  case,  A Needle holder and a pulse timer.

We are already at 4702 - 5000 now seems a definite possibility. We are well on the way and just maybe, we will see another magic number very shortly, thanks to our many contributors. We can now claim to have a mini photographic museum here at schoolsofnursing. Sincere, heartfelt, thanks...

But the photographs are not our be all/end all. Our online articles (36) are gaining too, to say nothing of our nursing histories and news pages. There is a great deal of research involved. Someone's time. Someone's money. All given selflessly without thought of gain. What we have here are the seeds of success.

But please, don't break copyrights when uploading/sending photographs. If you are ever uncertain please ask. Most copyright holders we have met so far have been only to keen to assist.

And if you want to join - welcome to the Forum and Member Galleries - Register Here.

Please be aware, our site is rated on Google by Norton Internet Security as being absolutely safe. We intend to keep it that way. You can help by using a reasonable ID and your own genuine email address. Anything that appears dubious may result in failed registration. Our site is free to users. It is hosted by the largest ISP in Europe at commercial rates - with highly professional back-up. Safe and secure!

Worldwide..
Certainly our visitors are wide ranging - from 44 countries worldwide... Australia & New Zealand and Canada are well represented in addition to the UK and USA. There are also some more esoteric sounding countries - China; Russia; Cayman Islands; Japan; Malaysia; plus Romania and Spain.
 

E-Mail Contact - 'contact' link (here and throughout the site) arrives directly on the webmaster's desk. Use it to communicate directly with the site. All mail is considered confidential unless the contents are stated to be otherwise. Stated to be for public consumption by you. Publication itself is an editorial decision.

Collecting... A new year dawns - collecting on!...
Or perhaps that should read 'collected on' followed by last years date (2014) as that is when I acquired the badges below... but then I just haven't had time so far this year to do much about seeking new ones. In addition to that, as one's collection grows, it seems that obtaining new items becomes so very much more difficult...  I have heard of one collector who apparently collects one version of a very special badge, but personally I do like a little variety - even though I have occasionally bought a second version of a badge - sometimes because it seems a better example. I always plan to sell-on the badge that I intended to replace, but never seem to get round to it, and so my collection grows on....

But some badges, like the ones I most recently collected, do not occur often, and when they do I do my best to acquire them. The first badge this time was a Scottish example (I do collect the rarer Scot's versions)....
 
The County and City of Perth...
Perth Royal Infirmary.  I had been watching this badge for a considerable time on ebay - hoping for a cheaper version to appear on sale (one didn't) - so in the end I contacted the seller (Dart Silver) and, after thinking long and hard, asked if they would be interested in an offer. The long and short of it was yes so I offered the amount I felt the badge was worth. It turned out that I wasn't far from the target and the badge was mine quickly thereafter, along with permission to use their photographs on site.

Very nice! The face side bearing the coat of arms of the city in four different (complementary) colours encompassed by an outer circle with the city title and hospital name set in a dark blue enamel. The coat of arms I cannot describe adequately but the photograph says it all....  
 

All images copyright  'Dart Silver Ltd'

But the real attractions for me were twofold. Firstly the exquisite and intricately patterned and executed silver casting - with 'AWARDED TO ---------- ON COMPLETING HER TRAINING' in 3D relief with the number '131' below along with - below again - the hallmark of Vaughtons, Birmingham and their name in relief below that. The nurses name - 'LOUISA WATKINS' and the number '131' have obviously been carved into the silver with great care and skill. There is, disappointingly, no inscribed date, so only the hallmark can give a clue without further research, with no guarantee of success. It is worth a try perhaps...

All images copyright  'Dart Silver Ltd' 

But another word of caution - the offer I made to obtain the badge was a genuine consideration, not a shot in the dark. I would not want anyone to mislead anyone start making offers, and wasting everyone's time, unless they had a genuine chance of success.

The second purchase this time was for a set - and what a set it is...  Four badges (jewels) which had belonged to members of the London Hospital Aid Society!

All images copyright  'gawincole'@ebay 

 

One vice-Chairman; two founders; and one member. !933 -1934. No strictly nursing badges - rather Masonic jewels - but better cause than supporting The London (or any other) Hospital. And the London Hospital Aid Society has a very long history - this link is well worth a visit:- http://www.schoolsofnursing.co.uk/Collections1/Collections16.htm  My own interest in this particular set of Jewels was first awakened when as a Christmas Present (2014) I became the owner of A London Hospital Masonic Lodge founders medal from 1901 (nearly 113 years ago)...... I featured it in a previous 'Collecting' column Son News page here:- http://www.schoolsofnursing.co.uk/Newspages/Newspage031.htm  Certainly worth another look.

Perhaps I am inadvertently starting another category of nursing badge collecting - 'Aid Society Badges'? Quite possibly..... 

Imagine, that whilst dreaming, you had located a catalogue of every first nursing badge ever issued. But then, on awakening you suddenly remembered that it was among the old books you had donated to a Salvation Army collection appeal!  Gone!!  Forgive yourself - you never would!  Perhaps start seeking salvation - as quickly as you can!!.....
WB.

 

 

Another photograph from the past - this one from
West Middlesex Hospital PTS
July 1952 

Caenwood Towers Hospital, Highgate, London N6

 
*Training Hospitals/Details *Not Available.

Tony Smith, author of the autobiography published this month, provided the detailed  photograph. Although that magnificent giant Poodle has obscured the picture of at least one nurse!          Gallery Photo Here

*Sincere thanks to SoN member 'Tony Smith' for the photographs used... 

Well, that is yet another very pleasant note upon which to end the 34th Schools of Nursing Site News.
 

Would you like to see your PTS or training group featured here? We desperately need more photographs to feature. Can you help?  If so please Contact us.

 


We express our grateful appreciation to those people who have contributed the original photographs
used to produce the News Pages.

1. News heading photo (all dates) - John Reeves
2. Bristol Southmead Gold (April) - John Reeves
3. St Bartholomew's Gold (April) - Ruth Watkin-Jones
4. Haygarth Silver (April) - 'ukhistory' (ebay)
5. Newcastle LS (April) - Peter Backman (Nursing badges)
6. RRC Medal (April)  photo's- 'Caulgisbo' (ebay)
8. 'catandfrog' (July) - (ebay).
9. bokojnr (Dec) - (ebay).
10. blue.bottle (Dec) - (ebay).
11. 'backman' - (ebay).*
12. Hotminicooper (Jun) - (ebay).
13. Right-one50 (Oct - (ebay).
14. jcollinsmedals (Dec - (ebay).
15. Brittania Medals (Dec 2009).
16. elaine3080 (Feb 2010) - (ebay).
17. Fran Biley (Feb 2010) - schoolsofnursing.
18. St Andrews Children's Hospice - Grimsby.
19.themedalcentre - (ebay).
 20. Christmas 1923 - Eric Wilkinson, schoolsofnursing.
21. past-modern - (ebay).
22. susie1156 - (ebay).
23. redsunshine525 - (ebay).
24. nbarton8 - (ebay).
25. magpieantics - (ebay)
26. rayofhope0 - (ebay).
27. Anotherluckyb - (ebay).
28. Helen M Coan.
29. yazandlaz - (ebay).
30. delroyb - (ebay).
31. Burmeseblue - (ebay).
32. amersham417 - (ebay).
33.Bethesda - (ebay).
34. nikkibarnard - (ebay).
35. madeinireland - ebay.
36. jamesmcg - (ebay).
37. pugwash - schoolsofnursing.
38. Sarah Rogers - schoolsofnursing.
 
40. Bill, schoolsofnursing.
41.
alastaircox - (ebay).
42. Margaret Maxwell - (ebay).
43. soisjack - (ebay).
44. blubberlover - (ebay).
45. the collectique - (ebay).
46.
mandacollectables@hotmail.co.uk
47. Dart Silver Lid - ebay
48. 'gawincole' - ebay


All Copyrights are Asserted

 

 
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