FORMER trainee nurses have been remembering their first days in uniform after a readers shared a nostalgic photo through Flashback.

Susan Youngs saw the photo of the nurses from Anglesea Road Hospital taken in May 1962 and said: “Left to right of picture on back row nurses, not Matron, I am fourth, Susan Chaplin; seventh Barbara Poole, I think; eighth Jill Meadows; ninth Mary Farrow, I think; 10th Jill Gould; 12th Ruth ?.

Back row again - first ? Fairweather, second Joy ? who lived in Kesgrave.

“Many familiar faces but names escape me!”

Christmas Day at Colchester Hospital was photographed in 1979 and having seen the photo Paul Quilter wrote to say: “Your picture includes Monica English (second right) who worked as a nurse at St Mary’s Hospital in Colchester and where, I assume, this photograph was taken.

“It was lovely to see her smile back at me as I opened the page as unfortunately she died in tragic circumstances just three days before our wedding in August 1987, aged only 34.

“Quite why she was in the photo and looking so happy, I don’t know, as she was a great animal lover and vegetarian!”

Previously in Flashback we published a photo of four Framlingham College students who had signed up for army life. Ross Sindell wrote to say: “I am giving some information on the photo that showed four pupils from Framlingham that were a year below me!

“On the left is Kyong Ip (not sure of Christian name spelling), awesome hockey goalkeeper and not sure which service he joined. Next is Tim Woods who joined the army and did very well! Roberta Davies (my girlfriend at the time of this photo) went to Sandhurst and 10 years in the Army. I’m still in contact with her. Last chap I don’t know!”

Responding to a request for information about a retirement photo taken at Notcutts in Woodbridge in 1966, Mr I Jacobs said: “

“Firstly to name them. Left to right: Arthur Clarke, Jim Barnes, Harry Berry, Stephen Notcutt - presenting certificates.

“I worked alongside “Dummy Berry” as he was known for several years at Creek Farm, Martlesham, before I transferred to the landscape department.

“Dummy was a truly remarkable man. Dumb from birth - the story goes. He was sent with a note from his mother, asking R C Notcutt if he could be given a job at the age of 12 years. It materialised that Dummy was employed the whole of his life until 65 years and part time into his 70s. During his time not only was he skilled to do all nursery maintenance jobs but he was gifted to prune and train fruit trees in the way of Espalier, Fan and Cordon trees - I presume from watching other workers.

“There is no doubt in my mind that had “Dummy” been able to speak he would be ideal for foremanship.

“In later years the same Stephen Notcutt presented five employees, including myself this time, with watches in recognition of 25 years service.”

A Christmas show held in Bury St Edmunds back in 1968 was the topic of a previous Flashback photo and recognising two of the judges, Henry Ruse wrote to share his memories. He said: “The man on the extreme left in a white coat is Maurice Lacey and next to him Geoffrey Fulcher. Maurice Lacey owned Barwells Butchers in Abbeygate Street and Geoffrey Fulcher owned a butcher’s shop in St John’s Street.

“I would meet them every Wednesday when I accompanied my father Fred Ruse on our weekly visit to buy cattle at Simpson’s Auction Market.

“I particularly liked a story told to me by Geoffrey Fulcher. As a young apprentice butcher in Bury, Geoffrey was employed by a butcher, Mr Johnson. In the 1920s Mr Johnson bought the Supreme Champion at Smithfield Christmas Show for the unheard of price of £200. A huge amount in those days. Obviously all of Mr Johnson’s customers wanted a joint from the Supreme Champion for their Christmas meal. Geoffrey told me that he knew for sure that he sold eight ox tails from that bullock!”

Tattingstone bell ringers have also been featured in Flashback and Professor D S Cheeseman said: “I can identify two of the Tattingstone bell ringers.

“In the white sweater, second from the right, Norman Thurlow. Next to him, third from the right, Barry Kerswell.

“Both were highly qualified BT Research Engineers and worked at what is now Adastral Park. I was their in-line manager.

“Norman was a bachelor and lived alone; he was a telecommunication engineer of great intellect and imagination. He also had considerable mechanical skills and was renowned for being able to solve practical and theoretical problems. Norman Thurlow was one of the engineers who in 1945 worked on the code breaking computer, Colossus, also later the first model of ERNIE. He died in 2005.

“Barry died young and although having great promise his talent was never fulfilled.

“Both were people whose personal qualities made a great contribution to the daily life of the research labs.”

Anotehr Flashback reader wrote to say: “The wind quintet you pictured is one item of 22 performed at this concert. Approximately 120 performers took part including the staff choir who gave the first performance of “Two New Carols for Hadleigh” by Ipswich composer Patrick Enfield.

“The performers in the picture are: flute - John Seggar (Hadleigh), oboe - Steven Ranson (Lindsey), clarinet - John Gill (Raydon), horn - Charlotte Robertson (Semer) and bassoon - Richard Scoggins (Wattisham),” said Maurice Ratliff.

Prizewinner Cynthia Burton saw a picture of herself and said it was her receiving a holiday voucher after winning a competition run by Hoover Ltd and Hubbard Ltd of Saxmundham.

“I entered the competition when I purchased a new Hoover vacuum cleaner.”

Finally Chris Collins wrote referring to a photo of a youngster feeding a goat and said: “This is a photograph of our son Nick (born in January 1974) feeding our goat called Candy on the field behind our house next to Bramfield Garage (which we owned at the time).

“Candy was a wonderful goat who gave us many gallons of milk and who lived to a ripe old age. A farmer once told us that if you look in a goat’s eyes you can see the devil - Candy certainly backed him up...

“We still live in the same house (the one on the left in the picture) and Nick now lives in Cumbria with his family. No goats in the family any more.

“Many thanks - happy memories have certainly been reawakened.”

Share your memroies by emailing flashback@eadt.co.uk or to buy a copy of one of these photos select the myphotos24 link top left.