The Midwife's Here!: The Enchanting True Story of One of Britain's Longest Serving Midwives (29 page)
Authors: Linda Fairley
It has been a life-affirming experience to write this book, and I am grateful to many old friends and colleagues who have helped me recall the past. Some memories have made me shake with laughter and cringe with embarrassment, while others have reopened painful wounds and brought tears to my eyes. All have reminded me how very powerful nature is, what an absolute miracle it is to give birth, and what a great privilege it is to be a midwife.
I would particularly like to thank the following people, who have all helped me to deliver this book, one way or another.
My son Jonathan, daughter Fiona and son-in-law Peter, who have always been there, telling me how proud they are that their mum is writing her story.
My brother John, himself a writer, telling me, ‘Yes, you can do it.’
My friend Chris Pearce, also a midwife, who, when I doubted my memory, said, ‘Yes, I was there and it really did happen like that!’
My colleagues at Tameside Hospital who have prompted my memory so many times.
The women of Tameside who have been in my care over the years, without whom my story could not be told.
Rachel Murphy, my ghostwriter, who is like one of my family now, and writes from inside my head.
Jonathan Conway, my literary agent, who would not take no for an answer.
Anna Valentine at HarperCollins, for having faith in me and for enjoying this book so much she has asked me to write another one.
To enable me to share my memories accurately without treading on anybody’s toes or breaching confidentiality, I have disguised the exact dates of some births and changed the names of some former colleagues and patients, but by no means all.
The one and only Mrs Tattersall, for example, simply had to be identified and fêted as my inspirational community midwife mentor, as did Miss Bell, my astute Matron at the MRI, who somehow knew before I did that midwifery was the career for me. I am deeply indebted to both.
This book is a work of non-fiction based on the author’s experiences.
In order to protect privacy, names, identifying characteristics, dialogue and details have been changed or reconstructed.
HarperElement
An imprint of HarperCollins
Publishers
77–85 Fulham Palace Road,
Hammersmith, London W6 8JB
www.harpercollins.co.uk
and HarperElement are trademarks of HarperCollins
Publishers
Ltd
Published by HarperElement 2012
1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
Linda Fairley asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978-0-00-744630-8
THE MIDWIFE’S HERE
. © Linda Fairley 2012. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
EPub Edition © APRIL 2012 ISBN: 9780007446315
Version 1
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers (Australia) Pty. Ltd.
Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
http://www.harpercollins.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Canada
2 Bloor Street East - 20th Floor
Toronto, ON, M4W, 1A8, Canada
New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers (New Zealand) Limited
P.O. Box 1
Auckland, New Zealand
http://www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
77-85 Fulham Palace Road
London, W6 8JB, UK
http://www.harpercollins.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022