Your Stories

Showing: All, 1970

Peggy Sarsfield

My sister was three years older than me, and she was already across here at St James’ doing her training. She made the base for the rest of us. She used to be always telling us about patients, the funny things that had happened to her, and being at her first delivery of a baby. I found all of that interesting and I thought, ‘Well I would quite like to do something like that as well.’

Jyotsana (Josh) Raval

Before the independence of India from the British Empire, Britain brought workers from India to East Africa to build the railways. That’s how my family came to be in Kenya. Political upheaval began in the late 1960s and my dad got concerned. He thought we needed to move out before there were any major issues. Because we had British passports as a result of Kenya being a former British colony, we were advised to come here. My dad came first and the rest of the family came about a year later.

Connie Bennett

I came over from Manila in the Philippines in 1970 to train at the Westminster School of Nursing in London. I'm from a large family and being the oldest girl of nine children, I knew that I had to make some decisions about my future and fast!

Leon Hoh

I came from Pahang, Malaysia in 1975 at 22, to train in Psychiatric Nursing at Severalls Hospital, Essex. At the time, there were few job opportunities in Malaysia for Chinese immigrants like me due to the government’s discriminatory programme favouring native Malays.

Helen Chuah

I made the journey to Severalls Hospital, Essex, from Penang, Malaysia in 1971 to seek a better life. I wanted the nurse training that I couldn't get in Penang despite going to numerous interviews.

Henedina Gadong

I came from Santiago, Ilocos Sur, Philippines on February 10th 1976 to be an auxiliary nurse at the Royal Hospital. I wanted to come to the UK because I saw that our neighbours who had come had been successful and they were living an abundant life.

Jenny Chui

I moved from Sabah, Malaysia in August 1978 to study Pharmacy at University College London. Boarding school was my original motivation for coming over: my parents asked me if I wanted to go to UK for school and I said yes please!

Linda Haynes

I made the journey from Penang, Malaysia in 1974, to train in East Ham. I always wanted to be a nurse and follow in my aunt's footsteps.

Eddy Lee

I came from Singapore in 1972 as a newly qualified dentist and began work as an NHS Dentist in Dalston, East London.

Linda Bennett

Mum came from the Philippines in 1975 to train as a nurse with children with learning disabilities at Botley's Park in Surrey.