“The matron of the nursing home greeted the residents with a warm smile and a compassionate touch.”

“It fastened down the back, and matron had to lace me into it for each performance.”

“With the exception of a saintly matron, called Mama Sunshine, who collects waifs and strays, grown-ups are not to be trusted.”

“We had always agreed to be each other's maids of honor or matrons, depending on who got married first.”

“If only, people sigh, we still had matrons, ruling the roost with rods of iron.”

“The move follows a government push to recruit 3,000 matrons across the country as part of a major plan for the National Health Service.”