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rosalind

23rd June 2016, 10:46
Hi Pigale
Yes, amazing though it seems to us, women in many professions were not allowed to practice or at least could not find employment when they married. I imagine this didn't refer to GPs because they were self-employed.
My mother was a pharmacist to a GP in N.E.England in 1939. This meant helping the doctor on occasion, for example by holding on a scalp while he stitched it back! She had to phone for a supply of M&B 693 (penicillin) -it arrived by the afternoon train from London and the man, who had been at death's door, was sitting up drinking tea by 4 pm the next day.
But when mother announced her engagement (Feb 39), the doctor said "That's very selfish of you, don't you know there's a war coming". Mother never did paid work again.
I'm not sure I believe this, but her sister was also a pharmacist and in her exams is supposed to have labelled a bottle with a Poison label and another saying "I teaspoon three times a day after meals". They both had to roll pills and blow their own glass ampoules for injections.
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pigale

23rd June 2016, 11:08
Ros, It would be easier to believe this in the days of Florence Nightingale than in mid-20th Century ! As for your Mother's employer's comment, I don't think 'selfish' was the right word to use; if he had said 'foolish', then we could think he was concerned with your Mother's well-being, eg not losing her fiance during the War.

In your professional life, did you ever encounter problems of a similar kind (difference between men and women)?
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rusty

23rd June 2016, 11:24
Good day, Elle,
Some weather you have had.
It is glorious weather here!
Glad your lock is fine.
I have been out, but not near a polling station
I had a postal vote.
The bookies have "remain" as strong favourites to win the referendum.
No tennis, I do not think.
I have discovered I have around six BBC Red Button channels.
I did not know!
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rosalind

23rd June 2016, 11:53
Hi Pigale
My mother married that July and moved to where they knew no-one. Dad was classed medically unfit to fight but in any case de-gaussed ships, which was possibly just as important. He worked for 36 hours out of 48 for a whole year and when that calmed down a bit, took his turn firewatching at night (this was Merseyside).
I wasn't aware of anything similar to my Mum, but i chose a stupid "profession". Also, in Oxford there was a great deal of "buggin's turn" and nepotism jobwise. I didn't even get an interview for a departmental job when I had impeccable qualifications for it and ten years of experience. The Prof wanted a lady from a country he had been visiting to get the work, and she did. I believe that wasn't a great success. I worked at the Open University instead.
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pigale

23rd June 2016, 12:12
Rather interesting Ros, (though somewhat of a pathetic attitude from the Prof!); What did you do at Open University? I did the 'Humanities' foundation course, and then chose 'The Enlightenment' for the second year, and '19th Century Novels' for year 3 - Then we moved to France (my parents were getting to the age when we thought they might need me not too far), and there was no way I could carry on with the OU - it is hellish expensive to do from a foreign country ! Rather a shame really for I would not mind doing another year or so even now.
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rosalind

23rd June 2016, 12:50
That's really sad, Pigale, especially as it ought to be available over the Internet and at the same price within the EU!
I did the research for illustrations, and then permissions, for the early science units. I never had enough work to do though, and just before I quit was given an assistant!
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elle

23rd June 2016, 16:00
Good afternoon , Rusty!
I wish we could have some of your sunshine!
It is still raining intermittently here, and we are being threatened with yet more thunderstorms. I am inclined to think that will happen, as the atmosphere is so muggy and oppressive.
I think we shall give the afternoon walk a miss - the dog would become hysterical should we get caught out in a storm!
I had a very nice lunch. We went to the Toby Carvery, just over the border into Kent.
Delicious and good value for money.
I am now going to watch some tennis from Devonshire Park. It is showing on BBC 2 till 5 pm
I wonder whether I will then find it on the Red Button?
(I tried that yesterday and found football on four Red Buttons channels!!! nary a sign of a tennis racquet!)
So which channels did you discover to be Red Button ones? I have 301, 302, 601, and 602 (courtesy of Malone's knowledge)
But what two others are there?
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malone

23rd June 2016, 16:14
Elle, the BBC have various numbers/channels set up for Red Button viewing. I've just checked my TV and at the moment 200, 6!0, 601,602 and 603 say 'BBC Red Button'. There aren't programmes on all of these just now - I think they're used when needed, for football, tennis, whatever. I just try to remember to check out the Red Button channels when there's anything significant likely to be going on!
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rusty

23rd June 2016, 16:57
Hello, Elle!
It is a bit cloudy with me now!
That's good you had a nice dinner!
My BBC Red Button channels are on the Sky menu.
Channels 980 to 986. One is a HD channel.
There is football and Eastbourne on just now.
Now next Friday, the Somme anniversary, BBC has 1 and 2 showing Wimbledon, so Red Button channels will have "whatever" showing? They also have BBC 4, if needed.
I actually can get any of the BBC1 stations, Oxford, NI, Yorkshire, Channel Islands, London, etc.
I use the NI BBC quite a bit.
Victoria P won a charity race at Newmarket today!
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elle

23rd June 2016, 18:31
Hi, Rusty!
Pouring down here now!
Ummmm.......Red Buttons!
I was somewhat annoyed yesterday to find that every Red Button channel that I could find was showing a football match!
I appreciate that it is a popular sport for many - but this was stretching it a little!
It would be nice if more time were given to other sports, especially the Athletics.
My hopes of watching some tennis earlier were rather dashed...... rain at Eastbourne, too, it appears.
Maybe later if the evening proves drier.......
Victoria did well at the charity race!
I haven't heard much abut her recently. What plans does she have for her future?
I hear that we cannot expect to hear any Referendum results before 7am. tomorrow.
Tenterhooks?
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