Aunt Bertha . . . Continued

At one Friday club meeting...
Miss Beadle imparted information about sexual intercourse, and about contraception – of course in the context of girls meeting boys in a Christian ‘environment’: Miss Beadle stated that – even when she went to university she had been uniformed herself. At the time, JH’s next door neighbour in Courthouse Road was a GI wife, and about to give birth to her third child in about as many years – but Miss Beadle did not enter into conversation with JH about the use – or lack of – contraception with regard to JH’s next door neighbours’ ‘proclivities’! JH subsequently learnt that Mrs Hipsey had attempted to help Mo curtail her constant state of pregnancy, and mummy advised Mo on the use of a diaphragm: although JH realises that Mo might have asked Mrs Hipsey, this was not an easy subject for JH’s mother to broach – as such matters were discussed with more reticence – then. And it was all to no avail: Sid, Mo’s husband, had a drink problem. Furthermore, he had forfeited his right to accommodation at the American Base . . . because of his drunkenness.

JH and her mother – who visited Mo when her family moved (and after JH had passed her driving test). ‘Sid has no personality at all’ was JH’s mother’s verdict on this sad state of affairs – and after the birth of the fifth or sixth baby. Mrs Hipsey thought it was ‘very brave’ of Miss Beadle to speak to a group of teenage girls. Mrs H did explain to JH – when the latter was in the bath and enquired as to why she had a tummy button - ‘That’s how you were made!' {AE}Bathtime - Dick Barton Special Agent My mother did inform her daughters of the impending use of sanitary towels, and used to take us in to the Haberdasher’s Shop in Queen Street, which was run by two ladies, who were fully conversant with Mrs Hipsey’s ploy to make her daughters aware of the ‘coming of age experience’ - reaching puberty. In fact, JH gleaned a lot of information about ‘coming of age’ from her fellow pupils at Maidenhead Grammar School for Girls. And JH realised that some of her fellow pupils – who seemed much more confident and grown up than herself – really found it an embarrassing moment when first coping with periods.

Probably in 1953 – as that is the date of publication – JH obtained a copy of Nursing Catechism, whilst she was a junior member of the British Red Cross Society, and attended meetings in the Hall in the Crescent in Maidenhead. On the flyleaf of this small pamphlet the reader is informed that the Nursing Catechism is compiled from The Nursing Manual by Elisabeth M. Gravelius, and published by Cassell and Company Ltd.

The first paragraph about the Nurse’s Duties is a reply to the question ‘1.- What are the Nurse’s duties to the Patient?

She must be patient, kind, sympathetic and cheerful; quiet but quick; gentle although firm when necessary. She must be tactful and above all discreet, never disclosing anything spoken to her in confidence. She must ensure sufficient rest for the patient, using great discretion regarding the visits of relatives and friends.’