Brenda Ashford is the quintessential British nanny.
Prim and proper, gentle and kind, she seems to have
stepped straight out of Mary Poppins. For more
than six decades Nanny Brenda swaddled, diapered,
dressed, played with, sang to, cooked for, and looked
after more than one hundred children. From the pampered
sons and daughters of lords ensconced in their grand
estates to the children of tough war evacuees in
London’s East End, Brenda has taught countless little
ones to be happy, healthy, and thoroughly well bred. In
this delightful memoir, Brenda shares her endearing,
amusing, and sometimes downright bizarre experiences
turning generations of children into successful
adults. From the moment Brenda first held her baby
brother David she was hooked. She became a second mother
to him, changing his nappies, reading him stories, and
giving him all the love her warm heart contained.
Knowing a career caring for children was her calling in
life, Brenda attended London’s prestigious Norland
College, famous for producing top-notch nannies. It was
a sign of privilege and good taste for the children of
the well-to-do to be seen being pushed in their Silver
Cross prams by Norland nannies, who were recognizable by
their crisp, starched black uniforms with white bib
collars, and their flowing black capes lined with red
silk. And what skills were these trainees tested on
daily? Lullaby singing, storytelling, pram shining, bed
making, all forms of sewing, cooking simple meals, and
dispensing first aid—including knowing the best way to
help the medicine go down. In A Spoonful of
Sugar, Brenda recalls her years at Norland and her
experiences during the war (after all, even if bombs are
dropping, there’s no reason to let standards slip), and
recounts in lovely detail a life devoted to the care of
other people’s children. Sprinkled throughout with
pearls of wisdom (you can never give children too much
love, and you should learn how to sew a button, for
goodness’ sake), this delightful memoir from Britain’s
oldest living nanny is practically perfect in every
way.
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