Kate Simpson a local dual qualified nurse and midwife will take you in a roller coaster adventure about midwifery through the ages, the ancient wisdoms of birth knowledge, and how medical men burnt such women for these intuitive skills. She will then lead us into stories of midwives and nurses in our own area, discussing the life and times of her own mother, Jean Simpson, a well known midwife to many who 'delivered' over 1000 locals and cared for many thousands more. She will discuss the family dynamics of forced adoption within the family unit, as Jean's teenage pregnancy in 1960's Boomer Britain was not wholly welcomed. The involvement of the heavy handed social service system of the 70's who almost succeeded in removing her 2nd child (following a concealed pregnancy!).

We will then explore the end of her midwifery career following institutional bullying, a subject which has remained particularly…