WALKING FORWARD, LOOKING BACK – A District Nurse’s Life Journey by Dinah Latham
Dinah introduced us to Harriet, the sheepdog, whom she had brought along. The thought of becoming a shepherdess occurred to Dinah while compiling and writing the book, which is about her experiences of working as a District Nurse (DN). Since her retirement Dinah has learnt the skills of shepherdessing and has taken part in many sheep dog trials.
She trained as a nurse at Charing Cross Hospital in the early 60s. The training included 1 day/week with a DN, and in those days you also had train as a midwife. Being a DN entitled you to accommodation within the area you served. In the mid 70s palliative care was being introduced and Dinah did a masters degree in the subject. Working was a cathartic exercise, which gave her much satisfaction. Looking back over her career Dinah says working as a DN in the 20th century is very different and is what inspired her to write a book about her experiences.
She made the afternoon very enjoyable, punctuating her life with many amusing anecdotes.
The book tells the story of a retired district nurse and midwife reflecting on her life whilst walking with her close companion Harriet, the dog. It is a touchingly honest work written straight from the heart. The reader will both laugh and cry as the author recounts many moving stories of patients cared for in 1960s London. The writings so patently contrast care in the community then and now that it becomes impossible not to regret the passing of a time when nursing was seen as a vocation, when nurses were proud to serve. Divorce and single parenthood accompany her career journey, while living alone escorts her into retirement. It is then that fortune takes a hand, or rather a paw, and brings Harriet the dog into her life. This may just have been the coming together of chance and good timing but, destiny or happy accident, it was certainly a blessing. It was her need to be taken on daily walks that finds our author evoking memories, randomly flicking through a lifetime of unwritten diaries. Together they share their walks taking the reader through the changing seasons of the Chiltern countryside, while also travelling a new pathway, one with an unfamiliar landscape … a one way journey into growing old. This is a voyage of discovery, one that promises many unexpected new experiences … not the least of which is their most recent pastime … sheepherding!
Steve Cooper, our U3A Vice-President thoroughly recommends it as a very good read.