When Isabella was born, her big brother said she was as pretty as a flower. The name stuck, and 86 years later, everyone still calls her Flower.
Flower was born in Guyana. Her maiden name, Quain, is Irish—her great-grandfather was Irish but returned to Ireland, and the family lost touch. Because of this, many of her relatives have very light skin. At 25, Flower moved to the UK to work as a nurse. It was 1961. She took the SS Kenya, stopping at several Caribbean islands before heading to the UK. Everyone got seasick, but she made many friends.
The ship was diverted to a small port in Portugal during the voyage. When all the passengers got off to walk around, the locals were terrified because they’d never seen so many black faces. Flower and her friends thought this was hilarious.
Once in the UK, she trained at Waddon Hospital near Croydon. She lived in staff quarters and every morning, the strict-but-friendly Scottish matron inspected the new nurses who had to stand to attention while she checked their starched uniforms, shiny shoes, and neatly trimmed nails. Eight new nurses, including Flower, were from Jamaica, St. Vincent, and Ireland.
Flower and another nurse trained in an orthopaedic ward, and she remembers the two of them trying not to laugh when a patient’s shaking hand kept rubbing her thigh. The matron watched, ensuring they stayed professional. After passing her SEN exam, she was told she’d be paid £9 a month. She cried—it was so little. But over time, her salary improved. When Waddon Hospital closed in 1984, she moved to Balham, working at St. James Hospital (later demolished) before ending up at St. George’s in Tooting. She preferred smaller hospitals like Waddon and St. James, where she could get to know the staff and patients.
She met her husband at a dance party but said he was “a naughty man.” They never had children—Flower’s back was damaged from years of nursing, leading to multiple miscarriages. He left years ago, and she doesn’t know (or care) where he is. “I was always busy with my work,” she told me.
Flower loved being a nurse. She’s retired now, owns her own flat, and spends her time doing crosswords and watching the news. At 60, she adopted her great-nephew when he was just 36 weeks old. He’s now 24, has a sports degree, and works as a manager at a local leisure centre. Flower is his mum and is so proud of the man he has become.
RIP Flower 1936-2025
