Shadows of the Workhouse

Book excerpt: When the workhouses of Britain officially closed in 1930, there was nowhere for inmates to go. So workhouses merely changed their names and carried on much the same as before. The conditions, rules and lifestyle that continued to be endured by the residents cast their shadows and shame over most of the last century. From the tragic history of dithering Jane, to the larger than life Sister Monica Joan, "the naughtiest old lady" the author had ever met, this is a collection of fascinating lives.