Joyce Smith
Pharmacy 1947
Joyce Smith (née Frecker) started at Sunderland Technical College in 1944, aged 16, attracted to pharmacy because of the appeal of handling medicines. She studied for three years combining her courses at the College with a pupillage at Sunderland Royal Hospital (then Sunderland Municipal Hospital) from March 1945 to September 1947. She recalls that the classes were relatively small and mixed, including Raymond Marshall, Audrey Bullock, June Hope and Tom Turnbull. Raymond Marshall went on to own Marshalls the Chemists with shops in Grangetown and Seaham. Tom Turnbull went on to work for Raymond Marshall in the Grangetown shop. While studying Joyce joined the hockey team.
She cycled each day to College and then the hospital from her home in Ryhope, including returning for lunch. She remembers staying for a week in Edinburgh in order to sit the Pharmaceutical Society exams, and not enjoying being away from home.
After qualifying, Joyce continued to work as a pharmacist at Sunderland Municipal Hospital. During that period, the pharmacy was located in a hut towards the left of the main hospital Chester Road building. She left work after getting married, as was often the practice at that time. However, she continued to work as a locum for several of her former colleagues including Raymond Marshall at Grangetown and Seaham, Mr Capstick at Hetton-le-Hole and for Miss Cowe at Whitburn. This was largely holiday cover which she continued until the 1970s at which point, she fully retired.