At our meeting on 3 May, Margaret F reported again on the appreciative giving by the group and others to those Ukrainian folk now living locally. As she said the bedding and other clothing is literally flying off the tables at the Central Methodist Church on Saltergate, and the people are so very grateful for everything especially now that more are being found their own living accommodation.
Our speaker on the evening was local lady, Sue Pacey, who gave us a thoroughly enjoyable, amusing, and lively talk on ‘Bees, Books and Babies’. She took us through her career journey as she left school at 16, to become a Cadet Nurse, living in and earning the princely sum of £18 per month. One of the matrons was portrayed as a real tartar who was certainly able to give any student a real dressing down if they dared to bend the rules, especially if attempting to sneak young men into the accommodation! No marriage was allowed for 3 years, and curfew hour was 10pm with an occasional late night until 10.30pm. Also, no make-up was allowed and proper uniform with shiny shoes was the order of the day.
When meeting up with family, she always ‘enthralled’ them with stories of her nursing life, so that her father suggested she write them down. So began her literary side-line when joining a book club, ‘Lunch 13’, when the weekly ‘homework’ was to write 700 words. Her first book followed, which, much to her amazement was picked up by a publisher, and she now has nine published books with another on the way.
All feature aspects of her life in nursing, and after spending 48 years as a midwife, she has very many stories to tell, some of which cannot be repeated!
With constantly having to get down on their knees to help with pregnant ladies, it seems that midwives can have a problem with their knees. Whilst off work for 3 months recovering from a knee replacement, she felt at a loose end leading to her taking up a course in beekeeping. Another anecdote was of her encountering a swarm of bees outside the back door, and she was pregnant at the time!
She had brought along with her a small hive, and a sniff of it told her that the bees had recently visited dandelion plants, but that we should not be concerned that the honey might likewise smell.
We were able to spot the Queen Bee with a small red dot lightly painted on her back and we then learnt about the life history of the bees, and that the drones were ‘kicked out’ of the hive in the autumn!
All in all, the evening was very entertaining, and Sue had brought along copies of some of her books along with jars of honey, and all proceeds were to go to Ashgate Hospice.
With the coronation of King Charles III on the following Saturday, the evening was wound up with all enjoying a slice of celebratory cake made by Margaret F., and by raising a glass of something a little stronger than the usual tea/coffee to toast the new King.
There are still a few seats available on the coach for the trip to Boundary Mill at Catcliffe, Rotherham on Wednesday 28 June. If interested do please contact one of the committee members to find out more.
Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 7 June when the speaker will be Gerald Price talking about The Woodland Trust. All will be welcomed, and again if you wish to find out more about the group then please speak to Trish (contact details on the back cover of this magazine).
This will be the last meeting held in the Parish Room until 6 September, as the group does not meet in August and the trip on 28 June will be in place of the July meeting
Wendy Drake