Documentary showing life in the Women's Royal Naval Service, described by Wrens in their own words.

The demands and satisfactions of a career in the WRNS are illustrated by reference to work and off-duty scenes at a variety of naval establishments. A Wren, Margaret Adams, describes her job as a technical officer (checking data, giving instructions and watching a missile launch). Another Wren, Jackie Rogers, shares responsibility for safety during weapons exercises, having started as a rating and then attended the Royal Naval College, Greenwich. Scenes of life at the RNC: classes, drill, apprenticeship schemes, lectures and meal times in the spectacular Painted Hall. Off-duty: sightseeing in London, sport - fencing, trampolining. A Wren being fitted for a new uniform describes (voiceover) the selection boards for officers. The passing out parade: Wrens are given their commissions as probationary officers, in the presence of their families and the Admiral President of the College. Elsewhere, a Wren personnel selection officer drives to work in her Hillman Imp: she interviews a raw recruit. Variety of training available to Wrens, and its potential value in civilian life, is stressed, an example being computers. HMS Dryad shore establishment: Wrens describes living quarters busy social and sporting activities. Also shown are the Communications Centre, Counselling Services, the Commander-in-Chief's Branch. Finally Anne Nicholson, Reporting Officer of the Secretarial Branch, is seen taking up a new job in Gibraltar doing secretarial work for the Admirals staff and enjoying the foreign surroundings of the Rock, sightseeing, and the barbary apes.

Notes

Title: alternative title taken from COI label in can; main title only is on the film. Do not confuse this film with LIFE WITH A DIFFERENCE (COI 1049) or A LIFE THAT IS DIFFERENT (COI 1054).

Technical: poor soundtrack (too muffled to be intelligible on occasions).