Is there a Call the Midwife thread?

[Oodbrain]

The poor little boy

Holdmecloser I found the idea that a bunch of drs and nurses would take an unmarried pregnant teenager whistleblower seriously a bit rich tbh.

The bit where they were being sent off to the home I found quite upsetting though.

The story about the neglected children gave me very watery eyes. (Also felt for the mother to some degree) Such hopelessness. Then they boarded a ship to Australia and it broke me!

That was one very chubby well-fed neglected baby!

This is true. Possibly they hoped we'd be too distracted by the state of the nappy to notice the chubby legs coming out of it

Also a sizable premmie born too

I do like the music

What happened to the baby ???? the kids got packed off to Australia but either i missed it or they didn't mention rhe the baby at all

She said the baby got adopted & the older siblings sent to Australia. I had to google the child migrant programme too - I'd vaguely heard of it but didn't know the details. It's horrifying to think this was all going on so recently!

I also googled the child migrant programme- how heart breaking, and for whatever reason, i feel so much more sad knowing that it happened so recently and I knew nothing about it!

Also- why did Canada never apologise? I am Canadian and this really upset me.

The recent series aren't based on the actual memoirs anymore though are they ? I think they finished with the stories based on the Jennifer Worth book's in series 2. So those children going to Australia and the baby didn't actually happen. Though there where obviously many similar events in real life. If you watch the opening credits, it says the show is inspired by JW, not based on her work.

I agree though, it's very shocking that these sorts of events occurred so recently. I'm also going to miss Chummy this series.

I thought the newer episodes were from other nurses in the area that have provided the stories.

I could be wrong June. I often am. I'd prefer to think of those Australian children as fictional though.

I thought they were using other accounts too

Thanks for this thread, I didn't realise it had even started Just watched it (early riser) It was great as ever. Poor little boy though.

The children being shipped off to Australia was so heartbreakingly sad. I cried and went to bed still upset.

They will have had such a terrible life.

I can't get over this is all so recent.

I even met JW before she become famous (and dead)

If those children are real, then they would only be early to mid 60's now. I truly hope they've found some happiness.

Wonderful book here about forced child migration. www.amazon.co.uk/Oranges-Sunshine-Cradles-Margaret-Humphreys/dp/055216335X

Well worth a read. It was going on much later and was much bigger than I originally thought .

There is a very good film version of Sunshine and Oranges with Emily Waters playing Margaret Humphreys.

I love Call the Midwife, was watching with my mum last night and she said at the time the kids were taken off the mother that she guessed that would get shipped off somewhere.

I am hopeful though that even though their childhood would have been horrific that they may have eventually found happiness in Australia, at least its sunny there

Not missing Jenny at all

I think the ill sister has gallstones

Yes the little impoverished baby was very healthy looking the 33 weeker also looked suspiciously well! I too thought it was odd that the Sister was able to specify her wish for a female doctor, I was half expecting Shelagh to turn round and say "we don't have one, you dope".

Off to read about the child migrant scheme. Did think that was a bit harsh, but pp'ers are right, it did used to be quite a sad show really - they schmultzed it up as time went on.

Can't wait for next week. I adore Linda Bassett.

What a heart breaking episode, although there was the happiness for Trixie. that poor baby needing skin grafts...

I didn't find the mention of a female doctor at all strange - my aunt and her best friend both studied medicine during WWII, where the majority of their class was also female. Many of these women continued to practice even after they had children.

The book mentioned above was originally called Empty Cradles and there was a documentary too.

I can't get over this is all so recent.

I watched the Christmas CTM and the film of "The Help" on the same evening. I struggled with how brutal life was, and people were to each other, until so very recently - I was born in 1970 and I think this CTM series is early-mid 60s.

Ahem - some of us were alive at this time - I remember playing in air raid shelters and bomb sites......and so much poverty everywhere.

But I also remember the wonderful "best dresses" my Mum had (2).
Block mascara (you spat on it) and all ladies wore girdles, all the time (even if skinny to start with).

CTM brings it all back.....bad and good

Sunshine and Oranges (Emily Walters) is brilliant.

Heartbreaking- I was reminded of it as those poor children walked up onto the boat

Me and the dds watched it tonight I know it is grim but we all love it dds ask me history questions like I am an auld gimmer trixie was a carer for her dad if I can remember right .I know I shouldn't but I laughed at sister MJ sharpening her razor ready to scalp those poor children. A few years ago there was a programme on about the Australian migrate programme some horrific stories was awful they reunited siblings in was very moving.

I saw the 33w preemie come out and thought, "oh what fab news for her, they got her dates wrong"...