Bath Times and Nursery Rhymes: The Memoirs of a Nursery Nurse in the 1960s

by Pam Weaver

Bath Times and Nursery The memoirs of a nursery nurse in the 1960s [Paperback] Weaver, Pam

Genres: Memoir

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

After training as a Nursery Nurse in the 1960’s, I worked in children’s Homes, private day nurseries and as a Hyde Park nanny. My experiences are in Bath Times & Nursery Rhymes which became a Sunday Times best-seller.

I started writing in 1990’s with small magazines and specialist publications, finally branching out into the women’s magazine market in 2001. I have since written more than 200 articles and at least 150 short stories. They’ve been in Take A Break Fiction Feast, Woman’s Weekly Fiction Special, Weekly News, My Weekly and People’s Friend. Some have been in anthologies with the proceeds going to charity. The Fantastic Bubble was repeated on BBC Radio 4 and the World Service.
My novels are set in Worthing; There’s Always Tomorrow (2011) Better Days Will Come (2012), Pack Up Your Troubles (2013), For Better For Worse (2014), are all published by HarperCollins Avon. Blue Moon (2015) & Love Walked Right In (2016) are published by Pan Macmillan. I also have a couple of novellas on Kindle. Emily’s Christmas Wish (2015) and Amy’s Wartime Christmas will be released in October 2016

If you are looking for murder mystery and intrigue in a saga… look no further!

Reviews

[Orinoco Womble (tidy bag and all) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half stars for this interesting look at how institutionalised child care has changed in 50 years. Weaver seems to have been inspired to write the book in response to some of the care-home scandals in the British press of recent years, eager to make the reader understand that those cases were the minority. Well, I certainly hope so, but if they were a minority, it was a large one. I was moved to wonder why no one in the first baby-home she worked at realised that Matron Dickenson was mentally unstable, which she obviously was if Weaver isn't exagerrating...but then I remembered my own first-grade teacher in 1968. We kids knew she was both physically and psychologically cruel on a daily basis; in those days in that place smacking a disobedient student was accepted, but she included hair pulling (and sometimes she pulled it out), twist-pinching and arbitrary shaming. I learned never to ask for help in math, and I still don't get it. One minute she'd be fine, the next she'd just blow. No one could get our parents to pay attention to our complaints until she finally did some real damage.

It's an interesting read, but in some sections the same paragraphs about basic duties are repeated, on one occasion word-for word. As a student, Weaver seems flighty, easily bored, eager to flee forward to the next job, the next course, the next thing down the line--but then there are many young people like that. I was pleased that while she is unapologetic about her Christian beliefs, she doesn't feel the need to sound "holy"or better than others.

[laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book about trainee nursery nurse in the 1960s

[Darla Ebert · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look behind the scenes at the experiences of a nursery caregiver in the early 1960's. The author tells charming stories along with, sadly, the reasons why the children were taken into care. Thankfully Ms. Weaver does not concentrate on or obsess over the depressing side of the children's lives and from what she has related, many many children were given a second chance at a better life.

[Charlotte Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that I wasnt sure of but glad I did as it gave an insight of the training of a nursery nurse in the 60's and 70's to when I trained back in 2000, ifs all changed now.

[Emma Christie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book. So easy to read and an insight how the children were cared for.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very factual - I did this and then I did this - each part of her life story could have been developed much more. So many of these biography type books cashing in on successful 'Call the Midwife' series,etc and they are not all worth reading. I did read this right to the end, but am going to be far more selective about what I buy in future.

[Debra Normansell · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Nursery Nurse in my fifties I thoroughly enjoyed these memoirs set in the 60's. A real insight into the way things used to be and
When and how things have changed for children and their careers over the years. It is a good story with the added bonus of giving an account of the
Social history.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

It does what it says on the tin, it's the history of one ladies experiences of becomming a Nursery Nurse.

I did enjoy it and there were moments the made me smile, laugh and cry.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading as I am a current day nursery nurse. Its lovely to read how the job was in the past.

[Blue Mountains Library · Rating 2 out of 5]

this memoir of a nursery nurse in the 1950s wasn’t as well written as Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth.

H.C

[Martha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting prospective on the childcare of the times,