Long life shaped by local places and a career in nursing
Violet Saltmarsh, a well-known great-grandmother from Kettering, is celebrating her 105th birthday on Saturday, July 25. Born in nearby Glendon just two months after Wicksteed Park opened to the public, Violet attributes some of her happiest times to family outings and picnics at the park.
Now a resident at The Old Vicarage Care Home in Weekley, Violet lived independently until February this year. A former State Registered Nurse, her career took her across Northamptonshire and Leicestershire, including service at Manfield Hospital — the site now occupied by the Cynthia Spencer Hospice — and at Leicester Royal Infirmary.
Early life, schooling and nursing training
Born in Glendon, Violet’s family moved several times during her childhood. She began school in Rothwell, attended Kettering High School and later became a weekly boarder at a convent in Northampton, where she learned domestic skills such as knitting and sewing and was encouraged to pursue nursing.
In 1938 she took a post at Manfield Hospital as an ancillary worker before moving to Leicester Royal Infirmary for further training, where she wore a starched uniform and completed the training required to qualify as a State Registered Nurse. During the Second World War she nursed miners known as the 'Bevan Boys' and treated injured soldiers returning from the front.
Career and family life in the post-war years
After the war Violet returned to Northamptonshire. In 1946 she was employed back at Manfield and then at Kettering General Hospital, where she rose to become sister in charge of the accident and emergency department.
Her marriage to Richard came after a dance organised by the hospital’s head nurse, Agnes Jackson, who had invited local men considered "suitable". Although both Violet and Richard discovered they could not dance, the pair found common ground chatting at the side; within a year he had proposed. Violet’s parents reminded Richard that there was an older sister in the family, but he replied that "it’s Violet I want."
"I’d like to be 80 again so I could get about more. I’m content. I’ve lived a simple life."
The sentiment reflects Violet’s modest outlook; in conversation she has said she would prefer to be younger to enjoy greater mobility, but that she remains content with her life.
A lifetime linked to Kettering’s institutions
Violet’s life traces key local places that will be familiar to many readers:
- Wicksteed Park — opened shortly before Violet’s birth and a long-standing family favourite for picnics.
- Manfield Hospital — early place of employment; later the site of Cynthia Spencer Hospice.
- Kettering General Hospital — where she served as sister in charge of A&E.
The longevity of Violet’s life offers a bridge to decades of local history — from the interwar years and wartime nursing to the post-war expansion of local health services and community life.
Timeline
| Year / Period | Event |
|---|---|
| Shortly before 1921 | Wicksteed Park opens to the public |
| Born (Glendon) | Violet Saltmarsh |
| 1938 | Employed at Manfield Hospital as an ancillary |
| WWII | Trained at Leicester Royal Infirmary; nursed Bevan Boys and injured soldiers |
| 1946 | Returned to Northamptonshire and later worked at Kettering General Hospital |
| 1950 | Met husband Richard at a hospital dance; married within a year |
| 2026 | Celebrates 105th birthday at The Old Vicarage Care Home, Weekley |
Staff and visitors at The Old Vicarage have marked the birthday with wellwishers including Violet’s daughter Kathy. Her story remains rooted in community institutions and the quiet pleasures of family life — simple pleasures she cites as the happiest days of her long life.
For many in Kettering, Violet’s memories of Wicksteed Park picnics and decades of nursing at local hospitals resonate with wider memories of the town’s social and healthcare history, underlining how individual lives reflect community change over more than a century.
