21. Happy Birthday Staff Nurse White.

“Unfulfilled, bitter and revelling in petty tyranny over patients”. Hardly a description of someone one would perhaps want to sing “Happy Birthday” to ?

This though is how the fictious nurse, played by the actress Imelda Staunton in the “Singing Detective” TV series, was described. Perhaps you remember her in the “Pitter Patter” episiode in Decemember 1986 ?

On the other hand perhaps you missed seeing that episiode (or a repeat of it) ? In any case you’ll probably know Imelda Staunton from other theatrical or tv roles ?

Coincidentally it’s Imelda’s birthday today (9 January). She is 50yrs old and so those of you who feel like it can take the opportunity - albeit inwardly - to wish her well.

Perhaps you will also remember her playing Vera, the London back street abortionist in the film “Vera Drake”? So there’s two “caring” roles at least that she has acted in. She has, incidentally, pronounced herself “pro-choice” in the matter of abortion although I don’t particularly want to discuss the “ins and outs” of her views or her role as “Vera” here.

No… what I thought might be interesting to do was to touch briefly here on her background.

Her parents came from County Mayo and became first generation Irish Catholic immigrants. They moved to London at some point and Imelda was born in the Archway area of North London where they settled.

“Nothing very amazing in that ”, do I hear you saying. “Hundreds of thousands of Irish people (both Roman Catholics and Protestants) have immigrated to England during the past two hundred years !”

You are right of course and that’s a fact. But just thinking about all those youngish Irish people coming across the Irish Sea to find work here or to look for a better life for themselves reminded me of the many Irish men and women who I met at Joyce Green.

I can certainly recall Matron Couzens going over to Ireland from time to time to promote the hospital and to recruit young men and women for Joyce Green.

I am sure that many of you reading this will also remember some of those young, innocent, Irish woman who subsequently started their nurse's training in the Preliminary Training School (or Introductory Block as it became called later). And do you also remember some of the many other usually slightly-older adults who were already qualified as Registered Mental Nurses or Registered Nurses for the Mentally Handicapped, who came to Joyce Green to undertake shortened courses in order to become S.R.Ns ?

My composite memory of you - my ex Irish colleagues - is you all as a wonderfully friendly, hard-working, fun-loving group of people and I for one certainly enjoyed studying, working and socialising with you all.

I suppose that if I had to select one single memory of my contact with you during my training days, my abiding one would be this one. Of my regular visits with some of you (… my contemporaries …) to the Irish Club near New Cross station, and of us dancing until it was time to rush back to catch the last train home to Dartford ... with the music and lyrics of “Black Velvet Band” ringing in my ears.

I hope that you are all still doing well, wherever you are ?