Inside 'real' Call the Midwife - and when the nuns and nurses left Poplar
Call The Midwife has become a beloved fixture of British television since its debut in 2012, captivating audiences with its poignant and uplifting stories of childbirth.
Set in the London Borough of Poplar during the early years of the NHS, the popular BBC period drama has won hearts with its authentic portrayal of life in the 1950s.
The BBC show has now moved on to the 1970s, but its attention to historical detail remains impressive. In fact, some of the real-life sisters who inspired the programme have praised its accuracy.
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In a 2012 interview with the Daily Mail, Sister Margaret-Angela, who joined the community in 1964, said: "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."
Call the Midwife setting in Poplar was a area heavily affected by the Blitz, leaving many residents without homes, food, or access to healthcare.
The poverty that persisted in the area during the 1950s was a direct result of the devastation caused by World War II.
The NHS, which was established in the aftermath of the war as part of the UK's welfare state, aimed to provide universal access to medical care.
Call the Midwife brings this pivotal moment in British history to life, highlighting the challenges and triumphs of the pioneering midwives and nuns who worked tirelessly to bring healthcare to those who needed it most.
While Nonnatus House is a work of fiction, the storyline is grounded in real events. Nuns and nurses served the local community, providing impoverished residents with access to medical care and ensuring babies were delivered with the utmost attention.
This included home visits for the elderly and prenatal care.
The original Order of Sisters was founded in 1848 in Fitzroy Square near Euston. They were also dispatched to Crimea to collaborate with Florence Nightingale.
In the 1880s, the nuns were invited to relocate to Poplar by the Church of All Saints Poplar, where they began serving the East End community.
The house where the sisters lived and worked, St Frideswide's Mission House, still stands today and can be visited by fans of the show.
During the 50s and 60s, the sisters and midwives became an essential part of the Poplar community, assisting exactly as depicted in the show.
However, the nuns did move away in 1976 to Birmingham as work in Poplar came to an end in 1978 due to the increasing absorption of nursing work into the government.
Under the leadership of Mother Margaret Faith the nuns left Hastings and established their main house in the heart of Birmingham's Alum Rock.
Call the Midwife continues every Sunday at 8pm on BBC One and iPlayer
