Midwife bids farewell after calling time on 40-year career (From This Is Wiltshire)

Midwife bids farewell after calling time on 40-year career

7:40am Tuesday 1st December 2009

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A midwife who was only planning to spend six months on the maternity unit has retired after delivering hundreds of babies during a 40-year career.

Angela Hyde from Stormore, Dilton Marsh, was joined by friends, family, colleagues, mothers and babies at Westbury Hospital on Friday, to celebrate her long and dedicated career.

The 63-year-old has worked in both Bath and Bradford on Avon, and has spent the last 26 years at the maternity unit at Trowbridge Hospital and looking after mothers, specifically in Westbury.

“I was only going to be a midwife for six months and then move onto heart and medicine but I caught the bug,“ she said.

The mother-of-two started her general training in London in 1964, after which she trained as a midwife in Oxford and Reading, where she used to go to her appointments on a moped, bought for her by her husband Michael.

She has helped hundreds of families in the county and even delivered her own grandson, Kean, three.

“It’s a privilege to be there during the good and bad times because sometimes nature doesn’t always work out the way you want it to,” she said.

“The people in Westbury aren’t demanding and are very grateful for help. I feel like I’ve become part of the town’s family.”

During her career Mrs Hyde, who also has five step grandchildren, found the Westbury breast feeding group BIBS (Breast is Best Supporters), which gives advice to mothers who want to breast feed.

One of the mothers who benefited from the group is Jo Booth, from Bratton, who has two children Rebecca, 10, and Thomas, eight.

She said: “The group was all Angela’s instigation. She gave us advice on breast feeding to new mums that wanted to breast feed but had questions to ask.”

One of her colleagues, Louise Adams, who is a midwife at Trowbridge Hospital, praised Mrs Hyde’s dedication and willingness to work hard.

West Wilts MP Dr Andrew Murrison also attended the celebration He said: “Forty years is an extraordinary achievement.

“My mother-in-law is a midwife, so I know they are to be respected.”

Talking about how she is going to spend her retirement, Mrs Hyde said: “First of all I’m going to have a sleep because I’ve just worked six days in a row.

“I’m going to enjoy Christmas and then the world’s my oyster.

“My husband has just bought a campervan, so I expect there will be lots of holidays ahead.”

Her husband, Michael, 63, who works for Grundon and gave his wife 40 roses to mark the occasion, added: “I’m retiring next year too, so we’re hoping to be up and down the country in our campervan.

“I will not miss her alarm going off at 2am in the morning and her shooting off to work.”

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