Carole Quinn (nee Worthington)

I was born Carole Anne Worthington on 23rd of September 1943 and lived in Beverley Avenue Davyhulme from 1955 to 1967. Prior to 1955 I lived in Farnworth but failed my 11+ (the dreaded borderline; I tripped over a ledge skating on the ice and fractured my collar bone the day before the exam!) My parents were dismayed but then cheered up considerably when I was streamed into the top Form 1F at Flixton Girls School.

My claim to fame was that I cut my wrist as I fell through the Art room window attempting to rescue our wet paintings during a sudden summer storm! It was my experience of hospitals during this dramatic episode that decided nursing should be my chosen career. I achieved a GCE in Economic History at 'A'grade and three ULCIs, but failed biology by attempting a complex question on the Liver, a subject which we hadn't covered!

When I was 17, FGS arranged that I became a Cadet Nurse at Hope Hospital Salford, also attending Newton-le-Willows two days a week . I trained as an SRN and was a Paediatric Staff Nurse and won the Gold Medal. My mum wrote to the local news paper informing them accordingly and stating that I had obtained higher marks than the Grammar School Students in my year! She also praised FGS. In 1966 I became a midwife having trained at St Mary's in Manchester. I preferred General Nursing so became a Ward Sister at Manchester Royal Infirmary. I was only 23 and one of the youngest ever to be appointed.

I married in September 1967 on my 24th birthday and moved to Salisbury where I continuing my career until 1975 when I had my first full term baby who sadly died at birth. I was by this time a a first line Manager trained at Southampton and a Clinical Assessor trained in Plymouth. Following the birth of twins in 1976 ( aged 33) I worked in the Intensive care Unit at my local hospital in Camberley Surrey. It was then that I decided that " all this illness needs preventing " so in 1984/5 I trained as a Health Visitor at the University of Reading.

In 1996 I obtained my Cert Ed (FE) at the University of Greenwich and did part time lecturing at Basingstoke Tech. I retired in 2002 aged 59, my final role being Child Protection Liaison for the Paediatric Unit at The North Hampshire Hospital trust.

I am still in close contact with the 'girls' of 5F and most of us meet up annually, putting the world to rights! We recently discovered that we were all 'borderline' and the rumour has it that boys had priority over girls for Grammar School places! In July 2014 we visited FGS and were made most welcome; we were most impressed with all aspects of the school and our photo is on your Face Book page, with me the lady in the blue top. I now live with my husband on the edge of the cliff in Ventnor Isle of Wight, my main hobby being Chairman of the Townswomen's Guild.