Wigan Album

A time when our lovely nurses...looked liked nurses !

Helen, Although I agree that nurses looked like nurses in those days, as a former nurse of some 30yrs experience, both in England and Canada; I can tell you that my later years, wearing pants was more comfortable and far more practicable!

As I was born in 1952 I reckon it were one of these ladies who smacked my bottom, It just shows how things have cahnged if you want a lady dressed as a nurse to smack your bottom these days it costs you a lot of money

Helen, I was thinking exactly the same thing, namely how wonderfully feminine they all look. Notwithstanding Ellen's undisputed first-hand knowledge of the subject ... all I can say is ”cobblers to that modern curse of practicality and pragmatism”!

But then Dave, You've obviously never had to climb onto a bed and perform CPR wearing a skirt!!! I remember a much older and more experienced nurse than I who said we'd never get respect from the medical profession until we ceased to wear the uniform of a Victorian parlour maid.??? Come to think of it, we did seem to get that respect in the latter days of my career.

No Ellen, you are absolutely right. In all my twenty plus years of performing CPR I have never had to climb on a bed to administer it, nor indeed ever thought to wear a skirt to do so! I rather fancy the sight of me thus attired would probably be more likely to finish off the patient through shock, than have the desired effect of assisting the patient to recover! I doubt very much too, whether I should look as feminine as the nurses in the picture above either, were I to be attired thus;I simply wouldn’t have the figure for it!!
As far as respect goes, I think you will find that most folk who have been on the receiving end of the old TLC from nursing staff (and that includes myself) were never anything but full of gratitude for the care and kindness shown to them.
Nevertheless, the point is simply being made, that it is lovely to see a woman look like a woman, whatever her occupation might be, rather than in one of those ghastly, asexual uniforms that seem to be the norm nowadays.!

Dave, I do get your point and I must admit to a lingering nostalgia for the "old" uniforms. I still remember the excitement we felt when putting on the uniform for the first time. My experiences as a patient since I retired leave me with nothing but admiration for latter day disciples of dear old Florence Nightingale, even though she herself would probably turn in her grave if she were to see their attire!!

Aww that's my mum, she's stood behind the nurse who's all in white holding the clip board on the right, Mary Bootle (nee Gallacher)