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Bedpans & Bobby Socks: Five British Nurses on the American Road Trip of a Lifetime
A charming and nostalgic true story of three British nurses who road trip across America in the 1950s, written by one of their daughters In my dreams, I was always in some vast landscape on a long, straight road. Driving. Always driving. Gwenda had always loved the open road, but her home town of Newcastle didn't really offer the sort of adventure she longed for. So, in 1957, with friend and fellow nurse Pat in tow, she left the dismal British winter behind, and embarked on an amazing American adventure. After a year nursing in Cleveland, Gwenda, Pat, and three new friends set off on a road trip around North America, driving in a rickety 1949 Ford. What follows is the charming true story of five remarkable young women. Over the course of 18 months, the girls go to a 4th of July rodeo, visit San Francisco and Las Vegas, learn to surf in Hawaii, spot movie stars in Hollywood, and celebrate Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Wherever they go, the traveling nurses cause a sensation. This is a delightfully nostalgic memoir of friendship and the romance of the open road.
312 pages, Paperback
First published March 3, 2011
21 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
Barbara Fox
4 books4 followersBarbara Fox was inspired to write her first book, 'Bedpans & Bobby Socks', after reading the letters her mother, Gwenda Gofton, wrote home while working as a young nurse in 1950s America.
She worked with shepherdess Emma Gray on 'One Girl and Her Dogs', an account of Emma's first year running a farm in an isolated part of Northumberland, before writing 'Is the Vicar in, Pet?', her own childhood memoir about growing up in the mining town of Ashington, Northumberland.
'When the War Is Over' turns back the clock to Gwenda's childhood during the Second World War and her evacuation to a Lake District schoolhouse.
Barbara's most recent work is as editor of 'Eve's War', the wartime diaries of Evelyn Shillington, who accompanied her officer husband to postings all over the UK.
She worked with shepherdess Emma Gray on 'One Girl and Her Dogs', an account of Emma's first year running a farm in an isolated part of Northumberland, before writing 'Is the Vicar in, Pet?', her own childhood memoir about growing up in the mining town of Ashington, Northumberland.
'When the War Is Over' turns back the clock to Gwenda's childhood during the Second World War and her evacuation to a Lake District schoolhouse.
Barbara's most recent work is as editor of 'Eve's War', the wartime diaries of Evelyn Shillington, who accompanied her officer husband to postings all over the UK.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
January 25, 2024
Really fascinating memoir of five English nurses who traveled and worked all over America in the 50s. They also visited Mexico, Canada, and Alaska and Hawaii (before they became states).
October 20, 2012
This is what I wish I could be doing with my life. The traveling not the nursing. I was impressed with how brave these five women were in 1958 traveling by themselves from Alaska to Mexico City, from Hawaii to Cleveland. They weren't looking to live it up or party down but rather just the simple joy of being on the open road, open to meeting new people, and open to discovering their own powers. Fantastic story of female friendship and the wandering spirit.
September 13, 2020
A terrific human interest story and of course anyone who reads it will be jealous of what these five nurses did. It's everyone's dream to throw off the shackles of a life more ordinary and search for adventure in the manner of this female quintet. However, this is 1950s America and I doubt if it's in any way like that now - one is lucky if one drives a hundred yards without being shot. It's not really a travel book, for the nurses only speak of the places they see as would a twelve-year-old - they aren't Paul Theroux - but the friendliness and compassion of everyone they meet en route makes this a heartwarming piece of social history. The only confusion in the book is trying to work out who is who, as the names of the people they meet tumble from the pages like spaghetti from a pan.
December 16, 2017
DNF...I got tired of the condescending attitude of the author towards Americans. Evidently, even in the 50’s we were all a bunch of gum-chewing, gun-toting racists, and much too backward to understand that wonderful thing called socialized medicine. Worse, It was just boring...like reading someone’s calendar. Not much nursing or adventure. Yawn.
July 4, 2018
It was an interesting read of all the adventures they went on and people they met along the way. I just wish there were more pics like in the first book, When The War is Over. It would've been nice to put faces to all the names.
November 8, 2019
Great reaf
This book was wonderful.I read it over 2 evenings and found it intriguing and engrossing.The 1950's must have been an interesting time.Nursing is universal and these women seemed skilled and experienced nurses.
This book was wonderful.I read it over 2 evenings and found it intriguing and engrossing.The 1950's must have been an interesting time.Nursing is universal and these women seemed skilled and experienced nurses.
December 14, 2023
Bedpans & Bobby Socks
I have really enjoyed reading this account of 5 nurses. Who travelled across America. It’s lovely to see the connections they made. And stayed in touch with. Really recommend this. Thanks
I have really enjoyed reading this account of 5 nurses. Who travelled across America. It’s lovely to see the connections they made. And stayed in touch with. Really recommend this. Thanks
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June 13, 2020Loved it. Cant wait to retire then I can follow their trip around America
April 2, 2021
Fun read.
February 7, 2024
What a fantastic adventure they had, I wish I could have joined them, they had some amazing experiences!
December 28, 2024
Hilarious
July 6, 2025
excellent true story
August 12, 2016
The premise of this book really has legs. A group of young British nurses go on an American adventure in the 1950s. I’m thinking ‘Call The Midwife’ meets ‘Road Trip’. Hilarious scrapes and adventures mixed with the stark nature of being a nurse in post-war America. Unfortunately there aren’t any scrapes or adventures and there isn’t much nursing either.
The memoir is written in the style of a child that has been asked to write a diary of their school holidays: ‘we had some dinner, then we went to a party, then Jane came round and Jane said this to Bob and then Bob went home and then we went to sleep. Next day we had breakfast and then went for a walk and then Jack came round and then we had lunch...’ you get the picture.
Reading this book felt a bit like watching a slide show of someone’s holiday snaps, but someone that you’ve never met and the holiday was 50 years ago… and there’s about 1000 photos to get through. Has anyone ever told you an exciting or hilarious story where you find yourself waiting for the punch line at the end and they say ‘Oh, I suppose you had to be there really’. I think that should probably have been the last line of this book.
‘Bedpans and Bobby Socks’ was actually written by the daughter of one of the nurses featured in the book and when you take that on board it’s actually incredibly sweet and was surely lots of fun for mother and daughter to sit together chronicling the tale, but I’m not sure if that makes it worthy or becoming a mass market paperback.
I think there were probably about 10 copies of this book in Blackheath Oxfam by the weekend…
1/10 I didn’t even manage to get to the end. The Blackheath Readers combined score was 2/10
The memoir is written in the style of a child that has been asked to write a diary of their school holidays: ‘we had some dinner, then we went to a party, then Jane came round and Jane said this to Bob and then Bob went home and then we went to sleep. Next day we had breakfast and then went for a walk and then Jack came round and then we had lunch...’ you get the picture.
Reading this book felt a bit like watching a slide show of someone’s holiday snaps, but someone that you’ve never met and the holiday was 50 years ago… and there’s about 1000 photos to get through. Has anyone ever told you an exciting or hilarious story where you find yourself waiting for the punch line at the end and they say ‘Oh, I suppose you had to be there really’. I think that should probably have been the last line of this book.
‘Bedpans and Bobby Socks’ was actually written by the daughter of one of the nurses featured in the book and when you take that on board it’s actually incredibly sweet and was surely lots of fun for mother and daughter to sit together chronicling the tale, but I’m not sure if that makes it worthy or becoming a mass market paperback.
I think there were probably about 10 copies of this book in Blackheath Oxfam by the weekend…
1/10 I didn’t even manage to get to the end. The Blackheath Readers combined score was 2/10
June 21, 2011
If you are looking for a nursing memoir this isn't it. It does have some comments about the differences between nursing in the UK and the US. By the late 1950's the NHS had been going for almost 15 years so it's not surprising that they would find the differences in patient care hard to get used to. What I did find odd is that they were shocked by the racism. Britain had it's fair share of racism even back then and I find it hard to believe that they weren't aware of that.
Still it makes for a fun travel read. All the more fun because of the era it was set in. Americanism was unheard of then so culture shock was to be expected. Not sure they would be able to travel like that now but I did enjoy it.
Still it makes for a fun travel read. All the more fun because of the era it was set in. Americanism was unheard of then so culture shock was to be expected. Not sure they would be able to travel like that now but I did enjoy it.
October 26, 2012
I really enjoyed this book; I found it in the travel section and it appealed to me for two reasons...
1) it is about nurses in the 50s, which is (for some odd reason) a real fascination of mine
2) they roadtrip across the US, which is something I really want to do myself
It was a really interesting story, with great characters and hilarious tales of the people that they met on the way (and their car, Flatus, who made it all the way with them...thousands of miles!)
The only thing that spoiled it was that one of the women's daughters co-wrote it, and in her epilogue she says that she made up some of the stories, which I found disappointing.
Even with that, though, it was a great book and a recommended read. I want to follow their route!!
1) it is about nurses in the 50s, which is (for some odd reason) a real fascination of mine
2) they roadtrip across the US, which is something I really want to do myself
It was a really interesting story, with great characters and hilarious tales of the people that they met on the way (and their car, Flatus, who made it all the way with them...thousands of miles!)
The only thing that spoiled it was that one of the women's daughters co-wrote it, and in her epilogue she says that she made up some of the stories, which I found disappointing.
Even with that, though, it was a great book and a recommended read. I want to follow their route!!
November 20, 2012
A fascinating portrayal of the real life adventures of 5 British nurses who drove across America in the 1950s. It's hard to imagine that such a road trip could have happened in those days and contrasts with the stereotypical view of most girls staying at home, settling down and having babies in those days. With hardly anything to do with nursing, the friendship between the girls comes across really clearly and the book also gives the reader a great insight into 1950s America. Good fun.
By the way, http://bedpansandbobbysocks.wordpress... is a blogsite about the book with some interesting pictures and snippets. Enjoy!
By the way, http://bedpansandbobbysocks.wordpress... is a blogsite about the book with some interesting pictures and snippets. Enjoy!
May 5, 2013
Adored this brilliant and inspiring book! Really makes me feel like packing everything up and going travelling myself :)Also the five girls we follow around are really likable people and it was great to read what they all did after their trip. Would have been great if the book included pictures from their adventures but nevermind.
Be warned though there is not a great deal in it about actual nursing. It is very much a road trip book. Was a little wary that it would be boring but it really isn't. They have so many funny and scary encounters along their way. A real feel good book!
Be warned though there is not a great deal in it about actual nursing. It is very much a road trip book. Was a little wary that it would be boring but it really isn't. They have so many funny and scary encounters along their way. A real feel good book!
August 8, 2014
Nice story - just another facet of life we wouldn't necessarily know about. British nurses getting a chance to come practice their skills in the US.
Set in the 1950s, these 20 somethings back then are at the edge of their life span. More aspects of life soon to be forgotten.
The story is about bonding between a group of nurses (British and US), learning about their cultural differences, and includes an adventuresome road trip from Cleveland Ohio, across the Plains into Colorado, and then north up to Dawson Creek, BC.
Set in the 1950s, these 20 somethings back then are at the edge of their life span. More aspects of life soon to be forgotten.
The story is about bonding between a group of nurses (British and US), learning about their cultural differences, and includes an adventuresome road trip from Cleveland Ohio, across the Plains into Colorado, and then north up to Dawson Creek, BC.
September 5, 2011
five British nurses who went to Cleveland America.
The book was not so much about life in the hospitals they worked in but more the adventures they had.
Amazing book and people seemed so friendly then, I cant imagine such now .
So many unreal adventures for 5 young innocent British nurses
The book was not so much about life in the hospitals they worked in but more the adventures they had.
Amazing book and people seemed so friendly then, I cant imagine such now .
So many unreal adventures for 5 young innocent British nurses
May 24, 2014
Listened to this on audio book during a 7-hour round road trip to this years WOMAD festival. Just adored the characters, loved their sense of adventure, their fearlessness, and you were transported right back to another time. They were driving, I was driving...what a story.
February 24, 2016
This book started off slow and I thought that I would have ended up given up reading but has I read on I found that I was starting to enjoy it. I found the more I read the more I loved it and didn't want to put down. I want to go travelling now after reading this.
March 24, 2011
An entertaining, light read of the nurses' travels through America, Canada and Mexico at the end of the fifties.
August 28, 2012
Rather sweet
November 1, 2012
Disjointed and not well written but a fun reflection of a very different time.
April 26, 2013
excellent read found the contrast between the nhs and American health system well explained...worrying if our nhs went the same way! my mum was a nurse in the 50s too so reminded me of her
March 7, 2014
A sweet, fast read, full of nostalgic stories of friends and road trips, and written as though the author were telling you a story over a cup of tea.
June 3, 2014
Lovely book that leaves you feeling uplifted. Five women go on an adventure across America and become life long friends. Beautifully told by one of the women's daughters, author Barbara Fox.
November 29, 2015
Great book
June 4, 2016
Listened to audio version of this non-fiction story of nursing. A feel-good story where all the characters and kind and optimistic but some very sad portions.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews