A former nurse from Seil has published her first book at the age of 88.
Never Argue with a Matron chronicles Mary Sandilands’ 38-year nursing career spanning everything from caring for aristocrats to nearly two decades in the army.
Mary, known locally for her active involvement in the church and island community, began her writing journey by sharing personal anecdotes with her sister.
Encouraged to compile these stories into a notebook, Mary embarked on writing her memoir from her island home south of Oban.
Mary’s nursing career started in Oxford, where she trained as a student nurse.
One memorable experience involved caring for Baron Elie de Rothschild, the guardian of the French branch of the Rothschild family banking dynasty.
Baron Elie de Rothschild gave Mary an expensive gift
She said: “At the time there was a glamorous student nurse, and it was her birthday.
“Baron Rothschild asked what she would like for her birthday, and she said: ‘Gloves’.
“Bearing in mind this was 1955 and we were still recovering from the war, gloves were quite a luxury.
“The following day, gloves arrived from Paris and we were all in awe of them. It was quite a sensation.”
It was then the Baron asked all the nurses what they would like from Paris. Mary asked for pearls, meaning artificial pearls.
She added: “I was hoping for costume jewellery. A treble string of pearls turned up with a hook-and-eye catch and everything. They were pale blue.”
To her astonishment, it was an authentic Christian Dior necklace – a cherished keepsake she still owns.
Mary’s professional journey led her to diverse roles, including serving as a nursing sister aboard the P&O Oriana cruise ship and as a domiciliary midwife in Liverpool.
Seil nurse spent nearly two decades in the Army
The pinnacle of her career was a 19-year tenure with Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps, with postings in Hong Kong, Nepal, Germany, and Cyprus.
During this period, Mary had the unique opportunity to experience flights in various military aircraft, including a Shackleton, a Lightning, and even being winched from a landing craft into a helicopter.
Mary relocated to Seil at 57 after connecting with a man named Pat over shared geological interests.
Their bond led to marriage, despite a 25-year age difference—Mary was 57, and Pat was 82.
Their time together was brief, as Pat passed away 19 months later from cancer.
Nevertheless, Mary chose to remain in Seil, valuing the community and memories shared with Pat.
In retirement, Mary has been an active volunteer at the Slate Islands Heritage Museum and with the Royal British Legion’s Easdale branch.
Never Argue with a Matron: Adventures in Twentieth-Century Nursing is published by Pen and Sword Books and can be purchased from Waterstones in Oban or on Amazon.
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