Call the midwife

[NimbleHiker]

The Christmas special of call the midwife is on bbc 1 in 2 parts again. The first part is on at 20:15 on Christmas day and the second part is on at 20:30 on boxing day. I am not a fan of the Christmas special been in 2 parts. I wonder how doctor Turner and his simpering wife will save the world.

The Beryl and Geoffrey side plot is probably the strangest one I’ve seen on CtM. Which is really saying something

@AgeingDoc I don’t remember a single baby with a trachy during my placement on neonatal as a student nurse. Actually I can’t remember many kids with them at all full stop. And I qualified in 2004. Now they are incredibly common as there are so many more kids on long term ventilation. I got bet annoyed when they put one in the mum who had a PE, from taking to many of her contraceptive pill. She didn’t have an obstruction, do it was pointless.

@AgeingDoc makes my teeth itch when people say appendectomy

In the mid-1970s my family moved to an ordinary semi-detached house that had been built in the late 1950s/early 1960s and had two bedrooms and a boxroom upstairs and one bathroom which was downstairs. My mother thought she was quite the grand lady with a built-in vanity unit in her bedroom.

Near me there is a council estate all built in the 1920s. The houses all have the only bathroom downstairs. I’m in an ex council house built in the 1940s, standard bay fronted semi. They were all built with downstairs toilets and upstairs bathrooms. But it was unusual then.

Couldn’t imagine many east end women who lived through rationing wasting clothing of any sort. Maybe just the rich.

The media jumped on an incident in USA and used 'bra burning' as a phrase to jeer at feminists

Isn't Geoffrey gay?

This. It originated from a protest held by feminists at the 1968 Miss America beauty pageant. They threw bras, girdles, makeup, and other feminine beauty accoutrements into a large trash can. There was actually no burning of bras, however. But the media jumped on that notion and it spread, evidently across the pond as well.

I had thought so too!

We had washbasins in our bedrooms and separate toilet and bathroom upstairs but only an outside loo downstairs, next to the coalhole! Thought the Turners moved into a new-build after they married, so early 1960s.

Well obstruction isn't the only indication for a trachy and there are lots of advantages for many present day ICU patients. But it's anachronistic - critical care was a very different world even when I first started in the 80s and I find it hard to believe that it was common procedure in any age group in the early 70s. But then CTMW regularly transplants current knowledge and attitudes back into history so I guess it shouldn't surprise anyone. I think the early series that were based on the books were pretty accurate but it has gone steadily downhill since then. My DH won't watch with me now as I'm always moaning about inaccuracies!

Speaking of the US, that's where I am, and we don't get the new season of CMT until March. I am intrigued by the suggestions of what Sister Veronica is getting up to. Not to mention Geoffrey.

I do like CTM but I was not impressed by tonight's episode. The side plot of a nun wanting her own baby does not feel credible and the bra burning felt a bit rediculous.

I had a somewhat posher aunt who in 1974 moved into a new house which did have a downstairs toilet. I remember we thought the house so posh that my Aunt used to give guided tours round it!

It seems the whole female population of Poplar suddenly underwent some mass hysteria event and burnt their bras. By next week the whole thing will be forgotten and there will be no mention of feminism whatsoever. So jingoistic!

For those saying Geoffrey is gay isn't he? Yes, he is... Lavender marriage incoming.

That might explain the pancake day setting tonight.

The first thing I noticed! I nearly screamed thinking she was going to rip that poor woman's placenta out!!

@LIZS Yes. Certainly people in Victorian houses built them off the kitchen! Our houses had coal stores and a laundry area and many converted these to bathrooms. Often chalet bungalows had downstairs bathrooms too. Lots like that where we bought our first house. 60s/70s built. They have gone out of favour somewhat.

The episodes are usually spread through the year.

My musings on tonight's episode...

Where was the umbilical cord of the premature baby?

Why was Violet Buckle selling yellow floral material (behind Trixie next to the door when they are talking in the shop) that was only available from M&S from about 1976? (I had curtains in that design in my bedroom as a child.).

They said the placenta was still intact. Everything all came out together.

My parents had it as a duvet cover, they still had in in about 1983 as I remember it and it's in some childhood pics of me around that time. I spotted it too and knew it was Marks and Sparks!

A ‘remnants’ store near me used to sell fabric that M&S used. I still have a duvet cover I made in the ‘70s using pale blue flowery fabric from there which I’d seen used as the collar of a dressing gown on sale in M&S.

The shop was called B&M Bargains: it might have been the first one in the B&M chain.

Perhaps Violet buys some of her shop stock from the same place B&M did?

UK and Ireland went Decimal on the Monday 15th February 1971 ..which tied in with Pancake day and talk of the new decimal money and Reggie having the new coins on the table getting use to them .

Wonder if that means by the next episode they will have all hot use to the new money !

I remember it took a little bit of getting use to .

As amusing as Fred and DT struggling were...
Both men were single fathers after losing their wives, plus were in the Army. Surely they had a concept of what goes into running a household?

But Fred baking scomes was funny.