Call the Midwife

Thanks glammanana... another famous pregnancy outfit was a black smock-like very mini dress worn with fishnet tights, given that I have sparrow legs I must have looked like a large black bird!

I got married while pregnant in a long Biba dress. 1970. It was gathered under the bust so did reveal the bump. In a kind of thick soft cotton. A vaguely pre-Raphelite look. I got loads of wear out of it in the ensuing months and floated round the university in a bit of a haze. I suspect turning a few heads. I also had an interesting gown that my sister produced as part of her A level art. A huge sunflower print that smelled slightly of the painty stuff.

My ex wouldn't 'let' me wear trousers during my first pregnancy!! However, when he realised that almost every other pregnant woman wore them, he relaxed his stance and I bought a stretchy M&S pair second time round and wore the mini maternity dresses over them. Much more satisfactory. Why did I put up with him for 16 years?

I had a navy blue maternity dress which had the standard white peter-pan collar it was bought for me by my mum who thought it would be nice to be seen in a nice "frock" when I went to the anti-natel clinic,it was crimpline and it was so itchy as soon as I had DD it went straight in the bin,I told mum(crossed my fingers)my friend liked it so much I had passed it on to her for her pregnancy.Annobel men where funny then i remember my first H trying to stop me wearing make-up as he thought other men would look at me,and I seem to remember that he was no oil painting himself.

I was thrilled when my dear departed husband told me that I looked like a toffee apple on two sticks when I was pregnant and wearing a smock. No..I really was thrilled..........my third child and his first.

I meant to say how much I too am enjoying this new series.

I found tonight's eoisode quite poignant

I actually got around to watching episode 2 today, hopefully I won`t have to wait a week to see tonight`s episode. And I`m about to order the book from Amazon.

gracesmum... me too, that followed by 'Birdsong' used up a few tissues

Not sure what I thought of Birdsong. Haven't read the book, and found I didn't feel much for any of the main characters, other than the troops. Loved cal the Midwife, and do want to read the book of that.

I haven't watched Birdsong because I must be the only person I know of who really disliked the book - because of Faulks's portrayal of and attitude to women.

I thought to-nights episode very moving and the kleenex came in handy for a minute or two,i have tried to get into Birdsong,I watched last weeks episode and tried again on replay but cannot get into it,will try again during the week I think.

The TV series is faithful to the book numberplease I could recognise all the characters and practically recite the dialogue.
Very true to life.

Call the Midwife really is true to the book, isn't it? Did anyone notice, though, the electric fire with the wooden fire surround in the house where the middle-aged lady was going to have her baby? These fires didn't come about until the early 70's, I'm sure? Doesn't matter one jot, however! The series is so very good!
I really enjoyed Birdsong. I didn't read the book, and perhaps I would have felt the same as Annobel if I had. We visited the Somme last year and learned so much about what the tunnellers did. The bleakness of the battlefield was portrayed so well in the programme, too.

I'm really enjoying "Call the Midwife" and also (mostly) "Birdsong". I thought last night it was a little confusing, but I loved Firebrace. I don't know the actor's name but I think he has a very lovable face.

I have been enjoying "Call the Midwife " so much that I decided to read the book and really loved it. The series seems to be staying quite true to the book. Was last nights story line with Roy Hudd, in one of Jennifer Worth's other books.
I love books about social history, diaries and memoirs. The books by Nella Last were also really touching. I haven't watched Birdsong. I read it for the Book group I used to go to several years ago. It was a very moving but I haven't been able to bring myslf to watch it.

If you enjoyed Nella Last you might like "Can Any Mother Help Me" based on that Social Observation project and a ladies'/housewives' correspondence circle - a forerunner of GN and other social networks. It gives an amazing insight into life in the first half of the 20th C, how hard it was for women isolated at home with perhaps their first child (or not - after all many had had to give up work when they married) to share their views with other women. It was also made into a play about 3 years ago which toured with a company called Foursight. We saw it at Birmingham Rep but I know it was also in Hereford, Oxford, Newcastle and other regional theatres. As usual can't remember the author, but it'll come back to me!

Jenna Bailey is the author/editor - it is made up of extracts from letters and a narrative by the author. Very very moving in the same way that many posts on GN are moving as the writers completely open up their hearts to these "strangers" who are also their close friends.

Annobel you are not alone! I really am not keen on "Birdsong" and have resisted the TV version so far, though it has been recorded. I much preferred the Pat Barker "Regeneration" trilogy.

I love 'Call the Midwife' and I thought Miranda was particularly good last night. I didn't watch 'Birdsong' but, as my husband was watching it in the same room, I caught bits of it. I thought Firebrace deserved an award for the sheer "humanness" he portrayed and I could have cried when he died, although I wasn't watching it!

I loved 'Can Any mother Help Me'. I'm sure there's a television series to be made out of it one day. The bit about a German plane coming down near to one woman's home was particularly poignant.

I`ve now ordered Call the Midwife from Amazon. If I like it, and I don`t see any reason why I wouldn`t, I`ll get the other 2 books in the trilogy.

Do you know crimson you are the ONLY person I have come across who has read it apart from DD2 who designed it for Foursight and recommended it to me! Did you get to see it too? I think it was so like what we are writing on today.

Mr Collett's death did in fact come from the second book "Shadow of the Workhouse" Nonny.

Oh woe is me and my Amazon habit - I have just downloaded the books (note the S) on to my Kindle.!

Yes; I likened gransnet to CAMHM when it first started. I saw an article about the book in The Observer and, quite a while afterwards bought it [I'm terrible for keeping 'interesting' articles from newsapapers!]. I think it reminded me of Housewife 42 [?] that I'd seen on the telly. Enjoyed the first three quarters of the book, but felt the subject matter died out towards the end, along with the people in the book. It reminded me of the sense of isolation I had when my children were young. I didn't know it had been adapted for the stage, and would love to have seen it. Unlike the internet, these women had to wait ages for the next 'instalment' didn't they! A testament to the bonds that women have once they have become mothers. A fascinating read.