Berrows Worcester Journal - 27th July, 1962.

"In Grateful Recognition"
Recognition for Nurse Elizabeth O'Brien, district nurse at Knightwick. In our picture, Dr. R. H. Clarke is handing over a presentation cheque to her to mark her impeding retirement.

EITHER on foot, cycle or car, in fair wind or foul, Nurse Elizabeth O'Brien has covered many thousands of miles around the Knightwick area in the past 31 years helping to relieve suffering.

And so much has this little woman with the soothing Irish brogue endeared herself to people in the district, that they have subscribed £102 as a farewell gift to her.

A cheque for this amount was presented to the nurse on Tuesday at the Talbot Hotel, Knightwick, where more than 100 of her patients and friends gathered.

At 60, Mrs. O'Brien feels it is time to retire and she will relinquish her post as district nurse for the Knightwick area at the end of the month.

HER VOCATION
Born in Ireland, Mrs. O'Brien knew from an early age that nursing was her vocation, but this was, hardly surprising considering that two of her sisters had entered the profession before her.

She moved to London and began her career in 1922, and came to Worcester six years later to take up district nursing. In those days, she and her colleagues visited patients in the surrounding rural areas, by bus.

In 1931, she transferred to the Knightwick area and used a cycle to get round the many villages in her "domain." These included Doddenham, Lulsley, Suckley, and in recent years, Broadwas.

Her greatest worry in the early days was the flooding which used to affect Knightwick regularly. Whenever the Teme burst its banks, Nurse O'Brien had to make long and tortuous detours by foot to reach some of her patients. A few years ago, Mrs. O'Brien was provided with a car for her work. After her retirement she intends to leave the area and live near her relatives.

KIND AND SKILFUL
Tuesday's presentation was made by Dr. R. H. Clarke, who came up specially from a village in Oxfordshire where he now lives in retirement. It was only last year that Dr. Clarke left Knightwick after practicing in the area for 42 years.

He said of Nurse O'Brien. "I have worked with her on many special emergency, cases and have never found her anything but unfailingly kind, and skilful. She has given long, generous and kind service, and altogether this area owes her a great debt. I hope her retirement will be a very happy one."

In reply, Nurse O'Brien thanked everyone for their generous gift.

Also present at the ceremony was Nurse Hazel Chambers, who is to succeed Mrs. O'Brien.

Nurse Elizabeth O'Brien and Dr. Roger Heine Clarke delivered me [Philip Holland] as a baby at Knightwick Post Office, in 1949, where my mother Doris Holland gave birth to me. My dad was Ted Holland, and they already had two children Josephine and Graham Holland, my elder sister and brother.

In the photo between Nurse O'Brien and Dr. Clarke stands Dr. Tony Parsons, who was in partnership with Dr. Clarke before Dr. Clarke retired, and then carried on alone as the village doctor for several years before going in to partnership with Dr. Tony Collis. Tony was a great friend of mine, until his death in 2006, very much missed by me.