Opportunities and surprises

Being a nurse is not only a wonderful thing, you also become part of profession that brings opportunities and surprises. Since retiring from the NHS, I have taken the opportunity to do some travelling. As well as going abroad, I have travelled around the UK.

On a recent trip to Aberdyfi Art Gallery and shop in Gwynnedd, mid-Wales, to my surprise I stumbled upon a signed copy of The Forgotten Heroes of World War 1, written by Menna Lloyd Jones, a former, much valued trustee of the Wound Care Alliance UK (WCA), now retired. It is a revelatory account of the Voluntary Aid Detachments and their care for the sick and the wounded. I was particularly impressed by the fact that 200 000 dressings per month were produced in Britain at the time. Menna clearly highlights the contribution of nursing, the care and the challenges of wound care—and the poem by the member of the Edinburgh War Dressings Supply Organisation she has included is a joy.