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Barbara Fox
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Barbara Fox was born and raised in Newcastle and lives in Sussex. She grew up hearing stories about her mother Gwenda's adventures as a young nurse travelling in 1950s America, and years later, Gwenda's letters from that time provided the material for her first book, Bedpans & Bobby Socks.
Never happier than when she is immersed in other people's stories, she has also written, co-written or edited the following books:
When the War Is Over - Gwenda's experiences as a young evacuee in the Lake District
Is the Vicar In, Pet? - Barbara's own account of growing up in a vicarage in a Northumberland mining town
One Girl and Her Dogs and My Farming Life - the two memoirs of shepherdess Emma Gray
Eve's War - the Second World War diaries of Army wife Evelyn Shillington
Midwife of Borneo - the tale of Wendy Grey Rogerson, who spent three years in one of the world's most remote places
Bob the Robin - gardener Tony Putman's story of his friendship with birds and other wildlife encountered in his work
Represented By: Sallyanne Sweeney
Barbara Fox was born and raised in Newcastle and lives in Sussex. She grew up hearing stories about her mother Gwenda's adventures as a young nurse travelling in 1950s America, and years later, Gwenda's letters from that time provided the material for her first book, Bedpans & Bobby Socks.
Never happier than when she is immersed in other people's stories, she has also written, co-written or edited the following books:
When the War Is Over - Gwenda's experiences as a young evacuee in the Lake District
Is the Vicar In, Pet? - Barbara's own account of growing up in a vicarage in a Northumberland mining town
One Girl and Her Dogs and My Farming Life - the two memoirs of shepherdess Emma Gray
Eve's War - the Second World War diaries of Army wife Evelyn Shillington
Midwife of Borneo - the tale of Wendy Grey Rogerson, who spent three years in one of the world's most remote places
Bob the Robin - gardener Tony Putman's story of his friendship with birds and other wildlife encountered in his work
Published Works
Author: Barbara Fox
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir
Newcastle-born Gwenda and Douglas Brady were among the millions of British children sent – for their own safety – to live with new families during the Second World War, leaving behind their parents, their friends and all that felt familiar and safe.
Evacuation could be a scary experience, but five-year-old Gwenda and her brother were lucky enough to be housed with a kindly schoolmaster and his wife in an idyllic Lake District village, Bampton. The realities of war soon felt very far away.
When the War is Over tells the poignant story of how Gwenda and Doug found a second family and a loving home in Bampton, but reveals how even in this remote village – seemingly protected from direct risk – no one remained invulnerable to the tragedies of war. And although it is all they have wished for for so long, will life ever really be the same ‘when the war is over’?
Author: Barbara Fox
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir
In the heart of Ashington – a bustling Geordie mining town – a handsome red-brick vicarage, surrounded by rambling gardens, stands proudly among the rows of terraced houses.
It is the perfect place for playing games, keeping secrets and chasing the ghosts of previous occupants, and it will be nine-year-old Barbara’s new home now that her father is to be vicar in this strange new place.
In this charming memoir, Barbara Fox recalls a childhood where parishioners knocked on the door at all hours of the day and night, and where no one batted an eye at the collection of waifs and strays who regularly joined the family at the kitchen table. This is a warm-hearted, classic tale of family, community and the unforgettable thrill of childhood adventure.
“A gentle story of a cosy, secure childhood among a community whose hearts were as warm as the coal fires that burned in their hearths.”
- Daily Mail“If only all memories were made of this.”
- The Northern Echo“A charming book with gentle humour; wonderfully descriptive.”
- Cynthia Bishop, The Diocese of Newcastle“An easy read. Women will identify with Barbara’s swooning over long-haired chaps in the church choir, fantasising about film stars and romance, and joining in competitive handstands and skipping-games. Oh, for the life of a nine-year-old... Good light entertainment.”
- The Church Times
Author: Barbara Fox
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir
‘In my dreams, I was always in some vast landscape on a long, straight road. Driving. Always driving.’
Gwenda had always loved the open road, but her home town of Newcastle didn’t really offer the sort of adventure she longed for. So, in 1957, with friend and fellow nurse Pat in tow, she left the dismal British winter behind, and embarked on an amazing American adventure.
After a year nursing in Cleveland, Gwenda, Pat and three new friends set off on a road trip around North America, driving in a rickety 1949 Ford. What follows is the charming true story of five remarkable young women. Over the course of eighteen months, the girls go to a 4th July rodeo, visit San Francisco and Las Vegas, learn to surf in Hawaii, spot movie stars in Hollywood and celebrate Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Wherever they go, the travelling nurses cause a sensation. This is a delightfully nostalgic memoir of friendship and the romance of the open road.
Author: Barbara Fox
Genre: Fiction
1959. Newcastle nurse Wendy Grey leaves her comfortable life and answers a call from people in Borneo to run a clinic in a place so remote, many there have never before seen a white woman.
Until her arrival, medical witchcraft has been the norm. Nevertheless, Wendy quickly gains the trust of the locals, and they begin to flock to her for treatment. And – terrifyingly – when some require emergency surgery, she must also become anaesthetist and surgeon . . . or watch her patients die.
From treacherous journeys on land and water to tea parties with the governor; from tussles with snakes and scorpions to Scrabble with nuns; from struggling with illness to suddenly falling in love – this unique glimpse into contrasting sides of a lost colonial world is possible thanks to Wendy’s detailed diaries, written by the light of an oil lamp in her bamboo and palm-leaf house.
Meanwhile, back home, churches throughout the UK are praying for the young woman in Borneo.
“Call the Midwife compellingly transposed from
the East End of London to the Borneo rainforest”
- Lynne Tembey, Mothers' Union Worldwide President“A heart-warming adventure . . . a spellbinding narrative . . . a step into another world”
- Mark Beaumont, adventurer, author and broadcaster
Author: Barbara Fox
Genre: Genre Fiction
Everyone thinks Amy is joking when she swaps her job at a London city vets for life in the moorland village of Grassdale, but this girl has never shied away from a challenge…
From looking after bunnies and guinea pigs, her day job is now all about caring for sheep, horses and more often than not, their grumpy owners. Can this city girl cut it on the Dales?
Shying away from the village's residents, Amy finds her solace running across the fells alone – it’s a far cry from running round urban streets – but when she falls on the trail one day, will she let obnoxious fellow vet (and keen runner), Damian, come to her rescue?
As the countdown to the annual fell race gets underway, the rivalry mounts. Can these two learn to play on the same team, or will their competitiveness push them over the edge?