Monday, August 12, 2019

Student Nurse Margaret Matthews circa 1960

Off message but marvellous picture of my Mum, Margaret Gray (nee Matthews) when she was a student mental health nurse aged 18 in Denbigh, North Wales around 1960 (she is on the left).

It was originally in a local newspaper (?) and our family had thought we had lost the picture but my first cousin, Melanie, was told by her fathers cousin, Beryl, that it was on a Denbigh social media page and she sent it to my Mum on Facebook.

Nothing to do with family escapes the Taff Mafia!

My Mum was one of 8 children and all of them I believe worked in this very large mental health hospital in Denbigh. The girls were mostly nurses or office workers and the boys porters. My Grandparents even met when working in a nearby hospital.

Mum remembers this photo and the very strict Sister (who is sitting down).

The traditional large mental health hospitals have now closed down in favour of small community based provision. While I understand why this has happened I am not sure that such provision is best for everyone. 

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