St Paul's Ladies Group

6:38am Thursday 15th May 2008

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MISS Carys Bannister spoke to St. Paul's Ladies Group at their April 22 meeting on The Life And Times Of A Female Brain Surgeon.

She was born in Brazil because her father was chief engineer of the Great Western Brazil Railway and during the early childhood was taught at home by her mother using an American correspondence course.

She attended a school in Sao Paolo and then the American graded school in Rio de Janeiro.

At the age of 15 she came to England to a girls' public school near Guildford in Surrey to do O Levels and Guildford County Technical College to take A Levels.

It was at this time she decided she would like to study medicine and, in particular, surgery.

She found it very difficult to gain a place to study because there were very few female surgeons at this time.

She was eventually offered a place at Charing Cross Hospital after she had won a state scholarship.

After attaining her qualifications, she tried different areas of surgery, but didn't really take to any of them.

It was while working in Birmingham she came into contact with a neurosurgeon who fired her interest.

She went to work in the Department of Neurosurgery in Edinburgh and then to do a research degree at Oxford.

She was at last appointed a consultant neurosurgeon to work with adult patients at North Manchester and with children at Booth Hall. She was awarded an OBE in 1999.

Miss Bannister told the ladies of the huge changes over the years in the field of neurosurgery, in particular MRI scans, use of endoscopes, etc.

She now lives on a smallholding in Rawtenstall with a number of different animals including her show corgis, one of which won his class at Crufts in 2005.

Mrs Doris Hibbert thanked Miss Bannister for a marvellous evening and presented her with a donation to Farm Africa.

The meeting on May 6 was a Mothers' Union Celebration Evening when Mrs Hilary Riddick presented members with long-service certificates.

Mrs Betty Hanson led the way with 41 years as a Mothers' Union member.