niwcws

Northern inspirational working class women saviours, from ages 17-21ish I worked in a pub and one hospital I worked in was located An-ex mining town, I’ve had a fill of working class northern women in my life,

I didn’t realise they actually run the nhs though, I thought they were generational and had mostly gone away but as a multi week, multi site patient was happy to be proved wrong,

They could instantly lighten my mood with a “hiya love” always sincere and warming like a verbal hug.

I came across niwcws in all 3hospitals.

In hospital 1 Doreen*prowled the ward with the biggest tea pot I’ve ever seen (in a better time I’d have tried to bicep curl it. One Friday night told me she was off t’ “werkin Mens club” where I’m sure she had a regular seat with the same people she’s sat next to for 40 years and would tut-if anyone talked through the sacred texts of bingo.

Hospital 3s had some belters, no airs or graces. Honest, down to earth, funny and loving. I’d bet a tenner they can all make a better Yorkshire pudding than aunt Bessie. if I buzzed for help in the night it was always a niwcws who appeared as they were nearly always support workers they would often help shower me in a morning too and it was always entertaining; when you’re sat broken, naked, immobile being scrubbed you need some humour and grace , one of them also worked in a social club and i bet could drink it dry if you let her, the other smoked about 40 a day and had a voice so gravely b&q would sell it on a rainy bank holiday weekend. My absolute favourite was a woman named Beverly she was a larger lady both in physicality and presence. The first time we met she introduced herself with “I’m Beverly* I know there’s another Beverly on the ward so you can remember me as the sexy one” the dry self deprecating humour, naughty twinkle in her eye and volume instantly endeared her to me.

I would try to work out her shift pattern so I knew when she was around to entertain me. she called me her cock sparrow and I loved it, never really knowing if it was a bird or slang but loved out of all her patients I’d garnered a nickname.

I felt horrible on a day when she got herself into small trouble because of me. I had needed to go somewhere, likely the toilet, she had arrived in my room, with a wheelchair, I was just about standing up on my own feet again, certainly not walking and turning. It was decreed I needed 2 staff to help me move of my bed . Impatient she said “come on” hovered over me while I wobbled to my feet, she placed my hands on her hips and essentially span me towards the wheelchair where I crumpled. I remember being pleased I’d done my first little turn and without a physio supporting me. However when she admitted this to someone else it got her in bother for doing a 2 person move alone, I felt wretched, she had been trying to help me and her actions full of good intention and kindness.

I think of all these nwcisws often even 18 months post event,

*- not actual names, I’m cautious to never name anyone or any centre on the blog but sometimes using a name helps with the flow of a story or post.