A lot has changed in midwifery since Edna Willis and Ada Steward were the top team at Colchester's maternity home - disposable nappies to say the least!

Ada, 85, of Long Melford, was a matron at the well-loved maternity home in Lexden Road for 25 years.

Edna, also 85, was her assistant and together the pair helped deliver literally hundreds of babies into the world.

And yesterday, for the first time since leaving, they both returned to Colchester's maternity unit - now based at the general hospital in Turner Road - for a VIP tour.

June Wright, Edna's neighbour in Wavell Avenue, Colchester, wrote to current senior midwife Lynne Saunders and asked if a tour was possible and the unit was happy to oblige.

The pair looked at the modern technology used in today's midwifery, met staff and chatted to new mums.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.