“If I had a flower for every time I thought of you . . . I could walk through my garden forever.”
This quote by British poet Alfred Tennyson describes the friendship shared between Gloria (Battcock) Scott and Linda (Cook) Dalley. It’s a friendship that spans more than half a century.
Gloria and Linda are avid gardeners who grew up in St. John’s, N.L.
They attended Bishop Spencer College and graduated high school from Bishops College.
After high school, they both studied at the Grace General Hospital School of Nursing, graduating in 1970. It was during their years in training and living at the hospital’s nurses’ residence, known as Southcott Hall on Forest Road, that the two became close friends.
“We had private rooms and Linda was next door to me . . . we wore fresh cotton uniforms and they were already starched and pressed when they were issued to you every day. And we wore hats,” Gloria recalled.
Shortly after graduating from nursing school, Gloria married Bill Scott, and, of course, Linda was her maid of honour.
When the young nurses moved to Nova Scotia their friendship continued.
“Linda and her husband, Ross Dalley, had a little girl. The rest of us . . . friends from nursing who ended up in Halifax with our husbands . . . we were childless at that time. We’d all go camping and we are still chums,” Gloria said.
The Scotts eventually moved back to Newfoundland, settling in Placentia where they raised their three children: Danice Szabo, Andrew and Bill Jr.
When Gloria’s husband’s work took the family to Ontario for eight years, the Dalleys often visited.
For a time, Gloria worked as foot care nurse. Linda also learned that discipline of nursing. It’s just one of many things they have in common.
International Day of Friendship
In 2011, the UN General Assembly proclaimed July 30 as International Day of Friendship.
The women also started quilting about 17 years ago. They are part of a quilting group with other childhood friends, who have found a worthy cause for their creativity.
“We just finished our third quilt (to raise money) for ovarian cancer,” Gloria explained.
Gloria lived in St. John’s, N.L., before moving to Swift Current, N.L., a year ago, while Dalley lives in St. John’s.
They visit each other often, Gloria said, and have made mutual friendships over the years.
“Linda’s friends are my friends and my friends are her friends.”
The women celebrate special occasions, including birthdays and Christmas.
Earlier in July, Gloria visited Linda in St. John’s and they enjoyed a lunch outdoors, keeping with social (physical) distancing advisories.
'When I need a pick-up, I can call her'
Gloria said her friendship with Linda means everything to her.
“We know each others deepest, darkest secrets. We have laughed and cried openly with each other. When I need a pick-up, I can call her. When something happy happens, I have to share with her. Regularly, we have a happy hour drink with each other . . . on the phone.”
Linda echoes that sentiment when it comes to just how much the friendship means to her.
She also recalled fond memories of living in residence during their nursing training.
As third year nurse interns, she said, the hospital gave them a living allowance of $17 a month. The money was spent on things like white shoe polish, panty hose and toothpaste, she said.
As both young women lived in St. John’s, they were allowed to go home on weekends.
“Gloria and I would alternate getting a few veggies or meat from home to save our money for necessities, Linda said. “Then, we would not have to buy our supper meal a couple times during the week. It also meant we could buy a package of cigarettes between us as we picked up that bad habit in training. Back in those days almost everyone smoked.”
The main entrance to the residence was guarded by a house mother. Curfew was 11 p.m.
“Gloria and I were both dating our future husbands at that time. If we weren’t back in time after a date, we would try and get the other to sign in and turn our room tag to ‘in’ so we wouldn’t get caught coming in late . . . Usually we made it and didn’t get sent to the office the next day.”
The Dalleys have two daughters: Lisa and Nola.
The family lived in several Newfoundland communities, as well as Prince Edward Island.
They had been living in Holyrood, N.L., for about four years when Linda’s husband died 21 years ago.
He was 49 years old.
Linda said her friendship with Gloria became especially important to her after her husband’s death.
“Gloria has helped me become a better person, more tolerant and forgiving, seeing things from a different perspective and being more accepting of people. Spiritually, we disagree on some things but having her to talk to has helped me get through difficult times. But, after 50-plus years of friendship, we both still realize that we need each other to confide in and talk to . . . The more true girlfriends you can have, the better your life will be. I am blessed to have (Gloria) in my life.”
