Hitler is defeated and the War is over but for Nurse Millie Sullivan and her friend Nurse Connie Byrne, the battle against sickness, poverty and ignorance continues. Millie and Connie work for the St George’s and St Dunstan’s Nursing Association in East London before the introduction of the NHS in 1948
As a pre-NHS community nurses Millie and Connie are midwife, health visitor, school nurse and district nurse rolled into one and live in Munroe House, the nurses’ home and clinic. Hard-working and conscientious they battle pompous doctors, their patients’ ignorance, grinding poverty and their spiteful Superintendent to minister to the sick and needy in their care while trying to grab some of the post-war fun for themselves.
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Nurse Connie Byrne has lived and worked through the Second World War, has celebrated its ending with friends and patients in the East End of London and is now enjoying a fresh new chapter in her life and looking forward to her wedding. But, as many a young bride-to-be has proved, the path of true love never runs smooth . . .Connie’s busy professional life and the ‘characters’ who are her patients, serve to give her a much-needed sense of perspective. Her work as a nurse in the East End means that she sometimes needs to be tough, ready to face anything – even the nicest of surprises. |
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London, 1945 and as the end of the war is declared and the troops start returning home, the nurses of the East End are joining in the celebrations. For Nurse Connie Byrne the end of the war signals the beginning of a new chapter and as the revelries go on around the city, Connie’s mind is on another celebration that she’ll be able to arrange – the wedding to her sweetheart, Charlie, set to take place as soon as he arrives home. But when Connie meets Charlie off the train at London Bridge, she finds that his homecoming isn’t quite going to go according to plan… Connie’s busy professional life, and the larger-than-life patients in the district, offer a welcome distraction, but for how long? If nursing in the East End has taught Connie anything, it’s that life is full of surprises… |
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Spring is in the air for the nurses of Munroe House and as Easter approaches, Nurse Millie is playing matchmaker. Daphne Villiers, student nurse, is still suffering from the heartbreak of losing her fiancé two years earlier. A new arrival to the East End has the potential to brighten her spirits and turn her life around, but will she be able to let herself love again? With the help of her friends, Daphne might find that Easter really is the time for new beginnings. |
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Christmas is approaching – but for Nurse Millie and Nurse Annie babies are still being born, and in the East End of London, new mothers still need all the care and support they can give. Vividly summing up all the friendship of a close-knit community – both for the midwives and for the families – Christmas with Nurse Millie powerfully brings to life post-war London – with a heart-warming festive twist. |
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Nurse Millie Sullivan is now Nurse Millie Smith, having married aspiring MP Jim Smith. The war has ended and the NHS has just come into action, so the nurses are busier than ever as the community realise that they no longer have to pay for the services. Minor ailments need attention, babies need to be helped into the world and some of the larger-than-life characters need keeping in line, so Millie has enough drama to cope with without having to deal with more from home…and Alex Nolan, her ex-fiancé, is back in town. |
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It’s 1945 and, as the troops begin to return home, the inhabitants of London attempt to put their lives back together. For 25-year-old Millie, a qualified nurse and midwife, the jubilation at the end of the war is short-lived as she tends to the needs of the East End community around her. But while Millie witnesses tragedy and brutality in her job, she also finds strength and kindness. And when misfortune befalls her own family, it is the enduring spirit of the community that shows Millie that even the toughest of circumstances can be overcome. Through Millie’s eyes, we see the harsh realities and unexpected joys in the lives of the patients she treats, as well as the camaraderie that is forged with the fellow nurses she lives with. Filled with unforgettable characters and moving personal stories, this vividly brings to life the colourful world of post-war East London. |
