An Armful of Babies and a Cup of Tea

Memoirs of a 1950s NHS Health Visitor

Molly Corbally

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Paperback

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English

Two Roads
12 July 2018

Memoirs; British & Irish history; Postwar 20th century history, from c 1945 to c 2000; Community nursing

A touching and warm-hearted memoir of a young health visitor in postwar England, for fans of Call the Midwife and The Language of Kindness.

After serving as a nurse in WW2, Molly Corbally joined the brand new NHS and became one of the first official District Health Visitors, attending to mothers and babies from all walks of life in the picturesque village near Coventry she came to call home. Social work was uncharted territory at the time, and Britain was very much worse for wear - TB, polio, measles and whooping cough were just some of the hazards new babies faced. Social conditions could also add to the problems, at a time when poverty and alcoholism were rife.

Armed with only her nursing training, her common sense and a desire to serve, Molly set out to win over a community and provide a new and valuable service in times of great change. As well as the challenges there was also joy and laughter, from the woman who finally had a baby after fifteen years of trying, to the woman who thought she should use marmalade as nappy cream, because the hospital had never taken the label off the jar they were using to store it.

Warm, witty and moving, An Armful of Babies is a vivid portrait of rural England in the post-war years, a testament to an NHS in its own infancy and a celebration of nurses and midwives. Their tireless care saves lives, and we need them now more than ever.

By: Molly Corbally
Imprint: Two Roads
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 199mm, Width: 168mm, Spine: 21mm
Weight: 236g
ISBN: 9781473671492
ISBN 10: 1473671493
Pages: 336
Publication Date: 12 July 2018
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Molly Corbally served as a nurse in World War II, and on returning to England became one of the first District Health Visitors in the newly-formed NHS. She worked in the rural Midlands between 1940s-70s. She died in 2012, but her book was rediscovered in 2016 and republished here.