The Helens of Spreydon

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32524, 6 February 1971, Page 1

The Helens of Spreydon

Eleven years of companionship and confusion at school and as nurses have ended for the Misses Helen Christine Wright, of Spreydon.

The two young women, with the same names but not related to each other, were in the same class at primary, intermediate and high school, and to the same nurses’ training school at Christchurch. Miss Helen Christine Wright, daughter of Mr and Mrs C. Wright of 16 Evesham Crescent (on the left in the photograph) and Miss Helen Christine Wright, daughter of Mr and Mrs L. A. J. Wright, of 112 Selwyn Street, last week, passed the nursing State final examinations in medicine, surgery and obstetrics.

Miss Helen Wright, of Selwyn Street, is now married, and is Mrs Helen Sutherland; and Miss Helen Wright, of Evesham Crescent, has announced her engagement. Mrs Sutherland has resigned as a nurse at Princess Margaret Hospital, so the confusion over names has ended.

The two girls went to Somerfield School; and there began the custom of calling the Evesham Crescent girl Helen Wright, and the Selwyn Street girl H. C. Wright. This was for administration and teaching purposes, but caught on among fellow pupils.

When Mrs C. W. Wright went to enrol her daughter at the Christchurch South Intermediate School, she was told: “Oh. there’s no need to bother. Helen Christine Wright is already enrolled.” At Cashmere High School, both girls obtained theii school certificate and endorsed school certificate together and were in the same form.

“We saw that Helen passed her school certificate,” a friend told Mrs C. Wright,

“They even put her name in the paper twice.” Helen and “H.C.” entered the Christchurch Hospital as trainee nurses together and passed their nursing “prelims” together. When the results of the State final nursing examinations were posted to “The Press” the journalist dealing with the report somewhat naturally thought that!

"Wright, Helen Christine. M. 5.0.” had been inadvertently repeated in the list of results —and struck out one o’ these entries. As it is impossible to say which one was struck out it Can be argued that each candidate had her result recorded. Both Helens knew they had passed, but there was some confusion among friends who

knew them both. And the tutor sister considered that “The Press,” in publishing only one Helen Christine Wright, put the school pass average down. And to top everything, the two Helens look rather alike. Both are now aged 21. Helen has red hair and “H.C.” is a blonde.