Here is Dr Joules’ personal copy (maybe even the script he used) of a talk he gave at the 1,144th meeting of the Reading Pathological Society on 18th December 1952.  The science would be well known to any doctors working in the field these days, and obviously advances have been made in many areas, but the language used is very elegant.  We particularly like the opening sentence:  “I do not suggest that this is a learned paper”.  People in medical science are not always as humble nowadays!  

It’s rare to get an insight into medical practice from sixty years ago – but today you can.  Vicky’s grandfather was a doctor and, after he finished his war service as a medic in the RAF, was the Superintendent Physician at the Milford Chest Hospital in Surrey.  The hospital has quite an interesting history, including being credited as ‘the birthplace of the British sitcom’.  You can read about the hospital here – and there is mention of Vicky’s grandfather, Dr Joules.  Below is his contract of employment, commencing in 1954 and offering a salary of £2225 per year.  Dr Joules and his family lived in a house (Allison House, named after the first Superintendent) on the hospital site, for which he paid £120 a year (including heating and bills!).  Amazing to see how times have changed…