[Margaret Pilkington]

Exactly John, and that is how Nurse training was. You would do an 8 week preliminary training course, then be allocated to wards for eight or ten weeks where you would learn to put into practice all those things you had learned about in PTS....then back into school(or block, as it was called) for a couple of weeks for a bit more book learning.
You were tested on what you had learned at the end of each block....and in this way those who were obviously unsuitable were weeded out. At the end of each practical allocation on the wards, you were interviewed and given a report on your abilities and skills...this went to the School of Nursing and your continuance depended quite a bit on these reports.
At the end of three years you sat your Hospital finals,which were a 'mock' for the state finals.

I am proud to say that I came top in our hospital finals....but this was only due to sheer hard work and determination to justify the confidence of Mr Winterburn (the head of Nurse Education) for giving me the chance to follow my dream.

I had a wonderful, enjoyable, satisfying career.