Since its debut in 2012, Call The Midwife has won the hearts of Brits nationwide with its charming and often poignant stories of childbirth. The popular BBC period drama is set in Poplar during a time when the NHS was just beginning to revolutionise public health.
Originally set in the 1950s, the show revolves around the nuns and midwives of Nonnatus House. The latest series recently premiered on BBC, captivating audiences as the storyline progresses into 1970.
Poplar, located in London's East End, suffered extensive bombing during the Blitz, resulting in homelessness, food shortages, and limited healthcare. In the 1950s, parts of the area were severely impacted by poverty due to the devastation left by World War II.
The NHS was established post-WWII as part of the UK's welfare state, aiming to provide all Britons with access to medical care. While Nonnatus House is a fictional convent, the plot is grounded in 'true' stories.
Nuns and nurses served the local community, providing impoverished residents with access to medical services and ensuring babies were delivered with utmost care. This also included home visits for the elderly and prenatal care.
Call the Midwife draws inspiration from the compelling memoirs of Jennifer Worth (nee Lee), who worked as a nurse in the East End during the 1950s. These memoirs have been skilfully adapted by the show's writer and creator, Heidi Thomas.
The first instalment, Call the Midwife, hit the book shelves in 2002, followed by Shadows of the Workhouse in 2005 and Farewell to the East End in 2009.
Jennifer was a practising nurse and midwife, hence Call The Midwife is rooted in her real-life experiences. She penned her books with the intention of shedding light on a community she believed had been overlooked.
Devotees of Call The Midwife can explore the actual inspiration for Nonnatus House, located in Poplar, East London. The real-life sisters and nurses, including Jennifer, were part of the Religious Sisters of Saint John the Divine and they resided and served at St Frideswide's Mission House on Lodore Street.
The original Order of Sisters was founded back in 1848 in Fitzroy Square near Euston. They were even dispatched to Crimea to assist Florence Nightingale.
In the 1880s, the nuns were invited to relocate to Poplar by the Church of All Saints Poplar, where they began their service to the East End community.
St Frideswide's Mission House, the residence and workplace of the sisters, still stands today and is open for fans of the show to visit.
During the 50s and 60s, the sisters and midwives became an essential part of the Poplar community, providing help exactly as depicted in the series.
According to Poplar London, locals who resided in the area during that era have fond memories of the midwives and nuns. They recall how, just like in the show, they would cycle around in their uniforms.
Devotees of the show will be delighted to learn that the real-life Nonnatus House was not demolished. However, the nuns did relocate to Birmingham in 1976 as their work in Poplar drew to a close in 1978, largely due to the government's increasing involvement in nursing care.
Under Mother Margaret Faith's guidance, the nuns departed Hastings and established their main residence in the heart of Birmingham's Alum Rock.
In 2012, some of the remaining sisters shared their thoughts on Call the Midwife with the Daily Mail.
Sister Margaret-Angela, who joined the community in 1964, remarked: "The show is definitely a realistic look on how life used to be like for us. They have the costumes spot-on."
"One of the producers visited us here in Birmingham, and we showed her how we would dress ourselves using an old habit that we still have."
Catch the latest episodes of Call the Midwife every Sunday at 8 pm on BBC One and iPlayer