So When Did It All Start? Part Two.

The most obvious source of information for the outbreak of ‘mystery illness’ was the newspapers - indeed that’s how we began all of this research back in February 2011. Given that the incident happened in 1955, there would be next to no surviving television coverage (although one nurse we spoke to did say that it had made the BBC news) and probably not much surviving radio coverage, if any. 

As for cinema newsreel, well there might be a little but, like its radio and TV counterparts, we didn’t bother looking as the likelihood of any surviving footage (if it was covered in the first place) is probably remote, although maybe less remote than TV/radio.

The Daily Express, a paper that had risen to achieve the largest circulation in the world by the 1940s, was the first newspaper that we could find that had a probable reference - albeit oblique - to the RFH outbreak. On the front page of the 19th July issue was a picture of a woman called Phoebe Cover. The story? Well not much of one other than she was young, American, from a wealthy family, engaged to Welsh doctor and at the RFH working as a social worker. 

However, the punchline gives it away, as punchlines tend to do...

The first specific mention of the RFH outbreak that we could find was in The Star (not the current UK newspaper) the following day. 

The more observant readers will spot the inclusion of the word "more". This hints at at least one previous printed report - but we have yet to find this.

The following day (Thursday 21st July) is when the major papers (plural) pick up on the story. The Times, Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail all use the phrase “nurses ill” in their brief articles.

The national press then appears to go silent on the story for the next three days until Monday 25th July when, to paraphrase Jane Eden’s words, the bomb goes off…