Rural Leicestershire

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The School Nurse

1.44 minutes

[424 kb]

Interviewee:

Then of course there was the school nurse. Of course she used to come to the school and we knew she was coming every week, and she'd always go down to Mum's and sit and talk and have a cup of tea down there you see. 'Cause, of course, Mum was very particular, very strict, very.. our house was beautifully kept.

EMOHA:

But you said that the nurse went to the school every week?

Interviewee:

She went to the, she came from the, she lived at Norton did Nurse Griffiths, and it was the school nurse came to see if your hair was clean and, and if, I mean she'd examine you to see that.. I mean there were some very poor children in the village. We were all afraid of her.

EMOHA:

Did you have a name for her?

Interviewee:

No, no nicknames, no, she was Nurse Griffiths and that was it. Once a year we were taken from the school by the teachers to the village shop, and at the back of the village shop was this big metal scales which you weighed hundred weights on, of food and feeding stuffs, and each child was weighed there. And I suppose then the report was given back to the nurse, the school nurse. Course we never heard anything, if we were healthy enough, we never heard anymore about it. She used to visit every house in the village so the parents would know. It was rather hush hush really.

Last updated: 21/11/03
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