SchoolsofNursing.co.uk

Site News
May 2023
(Vol 17  Issue 2) 

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Welcome to our sixty-sixth news page here at Schools of Nursing.  This is our second issue for 2023.  Although I do wonder sometimes how long I will personally be able to go on - in the face of advancing age!!.....

Not such a joke really, and in *all seriousness - if anyone out there wants to consider taking over this page, if only on an occasional basis, please do contact me for details.  A few hours composing text and maybe photographs sending to me and I will do the rest. Text and perhaps 10 photographs is all it takes.  Full details webmaster@schoolsofnursing.co.uk

Just a rider - lousy pay (Nil) and no holidays (None)!!

We do apologize for the delays which can occur. This time, along with our Tech' admin we were on a much needed holiday.
 
*Publishing errors. We do have one or two. Please - if you do see errors, just say so, I will be offended and remove them asap!!

The article links in this column - 'Badge Manufacturers' marks and 'Nurse belts & buckles & Badges' - are continued  below.

1. Fixings & Fastenings - NEW - PART TWO is here. Link
2. Post-Boxes 2.  Link
3.
Nurse Badges, pins and memorabilia from East London Children’s Hospitals. Link.
4. Nurse Belts and Buckles. Last additions - a rare 'Naval Nursing Service nurses buckle; and one possibly related to the London Jewish Hospital  Link.
5.
Schools of Nursing NEWS PAGE 51 - 'A News Page Outline' - is a brazen attempt to show the origins of schoolsofnursing.co.uk  Link.
6. Badge manufacturers and their Maker Marks. (No Change)
Link.
 

The Nursing badges public gallery - nursesue's Gallery start.
We now have 5 galleries which are open to the public without login.  'nursesue's' gallery is the latest.  They take a LOT of time:-

1. Eric's Gallery - The original and much neglected gallery still awaiting update.
CLICK LINK...
2. Peter's 'backman' gallery - 50 pages of 24 badges per page and 1250 pages  - (2400 photographs). CLICK LINK...
3. Mike's 'myk1066' gallery - 17)pages of 24 badges per page and 34 pages - (816 photographs) *with more in progress.
CLICK LINK...  
4. Barry Sutton's gallery is now started and updates will follow as soon as possible - many more badges - en-route.... CLICK LINK...  
5. **nursesue's gallery is started and the first page is online now. CLICK LINK...  

(*Temporarily - You may need to use your browser 'back' button to get back here).

Our original aim is unchanged.  'Individual hospital/school locations have been (and are still being) added; badge shapes; materials used; badge weights; type of fixings; central design (picture) ; inscriptions on the rear (nurse names/dates/maker marks/hallmarks where applicable); designer/s; manufacturers; number made; and dates first awarded are all salient points in our quest being addressed'. Reverse sides being added to each badge wherever we have the photographs.

In short, everyone who has agreed to our publishing a public gallery will have one - using their own photographs wherever possible. We must surely have a copy of almost every UK nursing/hospital badge ever produced.

Click a badge photograph to see the single page!  The links can take you back and forward - a page at a time (24 badges per page) - for all 1310 pages if you like.  Or go to the 'Gallery Start" page at the bottom of any individual badge to get back to the numbered 24 badge page. Sound complicated but you will quickly get the hang of it - promise!

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, *But please note: We simply cannot respond to transcript requests.
 

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 very more slowly. The 'National' galleries now contain 6832,000 nursing/hospital badge photographs encompassing all areas of the UK; 594 photographs (buildings/people/ephemera); and 195 photographs (nurse uniforms), both civilian and military. We have achieved 6832,788 already! By the end of 2022?  7000 is a target. 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. New additions continue and visitors have increased markedly...

  

National Galleries
-
Member Uploads

Photographic rights Asserted

 PBackman

Northampton General Hospital
Long Service Medal

Willesborough & Hothfield
Hospital


We are now at 6832,788 - 7000 now seems a possibility. We are on the way and just maybe, we will see another magic number this year, thanks to our many contributors. And it is not just a matter of quantity but rather a combination of quantity and quality. The quality of additions made to the site - both in the way of photographs and contributions to our forum has created an irreplaceable contribution to nursing history. 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 (42) 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 us. 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
.

Failed Registration. 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. **Please note that we cannot supply transcripts of training.
 

Collecting... Something Old, something new... All Nice!

Herein are some 'pearls' from the past below on the theme of 'sweetheart brooches'....

But first... A look back (News page 032). A marcasite on silver creation for the QARANC - not necessarily a sweetheart brooche but probably often gifted as one! I certainly have one in my collection, though I bought mine from an ebay seller. It seems quite a rarity....
 

QARANC Sweetheart brooch face QARANC Sweetheart brooch reverse

All images copyright  'Anotherluckyb' - (ebay).


*Genuine marcasite comes from the mineral pyrite, which is a beautiful, metalized stone similar in appearance to gold - which is why it is often referred to as 'Fools Gold'. The basic composition of pyrite is iron sulphide, but true marcasite has to be white iron sulphide based.

Sweetheart Brooches
Following on from  'sweethearts' Brooches - which were often given to armed forces sweethearts, families and friends before those concerned went to war.  Perhaps as a good luck talisman or in case they did not they return from war.  Many were donated to hospital nurses by the injured and worn inside the nurses cloaks.  'Sweetheart Brooches' - a much neglected area of collecting. Perhaps our articles may help correct that omission...

All armed services had these brooches.

1. Another nice RAF sweetheart brooche from  'Westendcollectables'. Metal and coloured enamel. I believe that 'Mother of pearl' is also used to back mount these badges. This one is listed as Lucite. Superb presentation. There are a number of 'Lucite' brooches for sale on various site, including ebay. Perhaps a we need to start a new collector page....?

1950s RAF Metal and coloured enamel on Lucite Enamel Sweetheart Brooch Badge - Royal Air Force

*Lucite is a transparent thermoplastic. PMMA is also known as acrylic, acrylic glass, as well as by the trade names and brands Crylux, Alfaplas, Plexiglas, Acrylite, Lucite, and Perspex - Wikipedia.

2. And this Royal Artillery (Army) broche..  Mother of Pearl backed - Colored enamels. 'UBIQUE QUO FAS ET GLORIA DUCUNT' Means 'EVERYWHERE - RIGHT AND GLORY - LEAD.  Kings crown WWII. There is a solid gold version and brass version as well, plus a cap badge and also a version with 'CADET' as the first word. Solid sterling silver.
 

copyright SoN after Iwaszak

**Mother of pearl is a smooth shining iridescent substance forming the inner layer of the shell of some molluscs, especially oysters and abalones, used in ornamentation - Wikipedia.

Mother of pearl can be found in specialist hobby shops almost everywhere in various shapes, including sheets and is readily useful for attaching badges *or anything else!) The prices are usually reasonable. *Caution is advised because such creations may not be original, particularly the case where military badges are often re-strikes.  Attaching a nursing badge carries the same caution. Let buyers beware...

And there are many more to come from all sources, forces and civilian.  Watch this column and look out for a special article.

But sweetheart brooches were intended not only for sweethearts, but for serving members of the armed forces - sweethearts no doubt, families and friends.  And there are probably many other examples, in addition to the armed services, which featured other services outside the scope of this article.

**The brooches themselves were made in a variety of shapes, sizes and metals, from base metal, to silver, to gold. and more latterly from Malachite (Newspage 32) and now, I have discovered, 'Lucite', which  I had never come across before.  Miniatures were intended for wear to show support for serving members, rather as does the Royal Red Cross poppy we see every year at the cenotaph.
 
So, where do we go form here? The local antique shop? No. I have already mentioned one new article Link in first column above - 'Fixings & Fastenings' - part one is online right now.  Link  Part two will follow shortly. Link

Imagine
, in a recurring dream - that
you had to prepare an academic paper to be published on the origins of the history of the  British Nursing Sweetheart Brooches. Start to finish! You have 1000 words and three hours. Start Now!!....  Before you wake up in the exam room...


Photographs from the past

 But just what is her badge?
Superb Photograph of Unidentified Nurse
(Unchanged for that reason)

**From: Unknown source - we suspect Peter Maleczek  (backman herein) - ***but can anyone ID the badge?

Well, that is yet another very pleasant note upon which to end the 66th Schools of Nursing Site News..... Next update August/Sept 2023.

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
49. Dr Patricia Mumford
50. 
dedsure@yahoo.com
51. 
steve@lloy.ball
52.
STRINGFELLOW@ebay
53
.bobstish1709@ebay
54. 
phillipsbay@ebay.
54. 
backintday@ebay).
55. 
sallybosley.com
56. armyoutfitters@ebay.com
57. The Welcome Institutue
58. Val Smyth.
59. Rebbeca D.
60. Sue Sullivan (SoN)
61. 'backman'@schoolsofnursing.
62. Krismercer@SoN
63. Siobahn Parry
64. 
Copyright kent190544
65.
copyright  MPool@cccinc.net
66. barrysutton@SoN
67. westendcollectables.com
68. Iwaszack@ebay


All Copyrights are Asserted
 
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