After a spell at Weston-Super-Mare I then went on to an Orthopaedic Hospital in Surrey, wrote Nora Hillman, where I had charge of the little ones up to five years of age. We nursed them out of doors in all weathers on a balcony, although not at night owing to the raids and the blackout.

Most of the other wards, except those for older children, were filled with Service casualties, some straight from France after D Day and some from Italy too. They loved any excuse to come up and see the babies who would often obligingly throw toys over the balcony railings for the men to bring up.

    The children aged from three to five years had nursery school here that kept them happily occupied, and on the other two days we had visitors for two hours -- most having a long way to come could not have managed more anyway.

Each morning we would be asked, 'Is it school day or mummy's day today?'

    In the holidays we would often go out with a procession of prams, spinal carriages, frames on wheels etc. and take the children to see the pigs kept in the hospital grounds or goats, cows etc. further out. Sometimes as a great treat we took one of the more mobile ones out to tea in the local cafe about two miles away, as we were right in the country here.

Another thing they loved when they were all settled down for the night was for someone to sit on the floor with a torch and tell them a goodnight story, especially Goldilocks and the Three Bears.

    Well, I would go on and on but I don't want to bore anyone so will just say I finished up with over 20 years at the Children's Hospital in Brighton.