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Original poster

Is there a Call the Midwife thread?

906 replies

Oodbrain · 18/01/2015 20:39

The poor little boySad

OP posts:
angelapple · 09/03/2015 15:37

The 'alcoholic' storyline felt hastily thrown together and ticked another 'issues' box for them.

I too think it's become more soap opera.

Clockingoff · 09/03/2015 15:53

It's lost the grittiness and real shock value of the earlier series, which were a real eye opener to how tough life was for the really poor sections of the working class in post war London. Now it's more like Heartbeat or The Grand, with the emphasis on vintage nostalgia and not on social history and commentary.

ppeatfruit · 09/03/2015 17:03

We've seen Trix drinking every night for ages. I don't think it was exaggerated at all. Alcohol is insidious, it's very addictive, worse than heroin apparently; Keith Richards of the Stones would have died (like Amy Winehouse) if he taken alcohol like he took heroin.

I like Fred and Violet (my grandparents' names) . Yes the character of his daughter may not have changed so quickly but they obviously wanted to tie up the loose ends. I still enjoyed it.

iklboo · 09/03/2015 18:01

I quite often crave the taste of a glass of wine, cider or a G&T but not the actual alcohol - if that makes any sense?

I'm thinking of getting some elderflower cordial & tonic water so I can have virgin G&Ts. I want the flavour, not the effect.

iklboo · 09/03/2015 18:02

And alcohol free wine, schloer etc taste vile.

angelapple · 09/03/2015 19:05

People were saying it was underplayed rather than exaggerated. And I think I'll go by own personal experience of alcoholics rather than those more dubious examples of Keith Richardson or Amy Winehouse?thank you very much though for your insight.
And we saw trixie drinking frequently, not every night, the rest was implied.

Pixel · 10/03/2015 01:03

Things were improving a lot in the sixties without a doubt. We had a nice clean rented flat although there was still no bathroom or inside toilet and only a coal fire or paraffin heaters. However it still wasn't that great for many people. Have a look at these photos that were taken in the late sixties and early seventies. They show unimaginable poverty that I'd have associated with much earlier times. And a lot of the properties shown were rented from the council!

MrsDeVere · 10/03/2015 07:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Mrsjayy · 10/03/2015 08:22

I just thought it was dreary just throw patsys girlfriend in front of a car THEN give her amnesia poor trixie Fred's weird daughter I hated it even the wedding didn't cheer me up

Mrsjayy · 10/03/2015 08:26

I did laugh at the fathers being allowed at the birth. Nobody had heard of it except for the artistic family from Leeds Grin

hackmum · 10/03/2015 08:53

"I interviewed my DGM for an article I was doing on Deaf pregnant women, then and now. She had five babies and not one person looked at her, let alone signed at her!"

Yes, as I suspected! The midwives, doctor etc are much more kind and sympathetic than would really have been the case at that time.

That sounds like a fascinating article, by the way, MrsdeVere. Have always found deafness and sign language (and the idea of deaf people having a separate culture) very interesting.

Sunnymeg · 10/03/2015 09:31

They had a Father present at the birth in series 1. The story of the Spanish lady who had 20+ children! So I couldn't see why they made such a big deal of it.

BeyondDoesBootcamp · 10/03/2015 09:53

I just (somewhat obsessively) checked who delivered Conchita's prem in series 1, wondering if it was someone at the table talking about it not happening in this ep. It was Jenny, and she did it alone, so at least noone is forgetting their own experiences Grin

ShelaghTurner · 10/03/2015 09:57

Christmas special 2013 also had a father at the birth delivered by Trixie and er.... hang on...

ShelaghTurner · 10/03/2015 09:58

Trixie and Jenny

caryam · 10/03/2015 09:59

Pixel, in the 60's I lived in a room and kitchen with my sister and parents, it had no hot water, and a shared toilet with other families. Thanks for the link to the photos. I think many people forget how recently people were still living like this.

Mrsjayy · 10/03/2015 10:16

Trixe was all for progression it was the older midwives that were against it I Remember mil worrying her son woUld be upset if he came in with Me child birth was no place for men

girliefriend · 10/03/2015 10:23

Wow pixel those photos are quite shocking, Dickensian really Sad

I am so grateful for my cosy, clean and functional council flat, had I been a single parent in the 60s/70s it would have been a very different story.

GColdtimer · 10/03/2015 10:39

My dad was at my birth in 1972 but not for my brother's in 1968. Mind you I came so quickly I don't think he had time to make a choice. My mum said things had changed a lot in those 4 years.

Also

Mrsjayy · 10/03/2015 11:00

Are you from Leeds and from an artistic family Grin

BertieBotts · 10/03/2015 11:49

I think they thought that men were quite delicate about things like that and would faint/get in the way/be traumatised forever.

Mrsjayy · 10/03/2015 12:18

Or it was just women business

maudpringles · 10/03/2015 12:38

I agree mrsjayy, women just got on with it and passed the bundle of joy over to dad when all the hard work was over!

GColdtimer · 10/03/2015 13:51

Ha MrsJayy, couldn't be further from the truth (from the south, child of a railway worker and a shop assistant!)

My mum said the fact my dad was there did cause quite a stir with their friends afterwards but he says he was so glad he was.

Mrsjayy · 10/03/2015 14:33

Bet there was loads of tutting about him