‘Joyous’ reunion for nurses from Watford class of 1975

A “tearful” reunion of former nurses half a century after they began training together became a celebration of their profession’s enduring impact.

Susan Barrell, from Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, tracked down classmates who first met in 1975 at the West Herts School of Nursing at the former Watford Peace Memorial Hospital.

On 2 September, they came together again at the Rennie Grove Peace Hospice, once part of the hospital where they trained.

“It was noisy, tearful, and overwhelming,” said Mrs Barrell. “We hadn’t seen each other in nearly 50 years. It was like stepping back in time.”

Mrs Barrell made a live appeal on BBC Three Counties Radio after struggling to find some of the class of 1975.

“I didn’t know where to start,” she said. “But after the appeal, people started calling and emailing.

“One former colleague, who now lives in Wales said, ‘My stepmother heard – it’s me, I’m Carol!’”

Among the surprises was a call from Dominique, a nurse Mrs Barrell had not spoken to in 47 years.

Rumours circulated that Dominique moved to Russia, but she was actually living in Shefford, Bedfordshire – just over an hour away from Mrs Barrell.

“I gasped when she called. We thought she’d married a Russian and moved to Moscow – turns out she’d just been on holiday there!”

Mrs Barrell’s nursing career took her from Watford to Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem. She also worked in London, Bushey, and Stoke Mandeville.

“You can go anywhere with nursing,” she said. “It was a passport to the world. Our training was respected globally.”

One colleague worked in military medicine, became a midwife in Saudi Arabia and learned Arabic, while others worked in the education and pharmaceutical sectors.

Mrs Barrell described their training as “thorough” and said they “came out confident”. She recalled how student nurses were trusted to run wards.

“You wouldn’t see that today,” she said. “We were just 21, but we were mature and capable.”

“You were petrified of matrons – some consultants you were terrified of,” she added. “It’s not like that now.”

She acknowledged nursing has changed, with today’s training more theory-based and degree-led, but she still believes it is a rewarding career.

“Agency nurses can earn £40 an hour. The pension is good, and annual leave builds up over time. It’s still a great profession.”

Sonja Ballingall vividly remembered her “excitement” at arriving at Halsey House, the nurses’ home, the night before training began.

She described the reunion as “a joyous day” spent “looking back and reminiscing about our student nurse days and what we have all achieved over the last 50 years”.

After eight weeks learning basic nursing skills, they were sent to the hospital’s four wings to begin hands-on work.

Their social lives flourished.

“During our training there was much socialising… there was always a supply of free entry tickets to Baileys night club for the nurses to make the most of their off duty time.”

Wendy Liberty, who became a diabetes specialist nurse, said: “Our training gave a strong foundation, enabling us to develop and change our careers in nursing.”

Chris Spackman “wanted to be a nurse from a very early age”.

“I specialised in children’s nursing, eventually setting up children’s community nursing in Bedford, a position I loved – it was hard work but rewarding,” she added.

Margie Nestor, who travelled from Malaysia to begin her training and later worked in Ireland, said: “Although the training was tough, it gave me fantastic core skills that helped me throughout my career not just in England but Ireland.”

For Jannette Phipps, being accepted into the 1975 West Herts School of Nursing set was a life-changing moment, with everyone united by a purpose.

“We all had a shared vision and compassion to make life better for those who were sick or unwell around us.”