There was a huge surprise awaiting Royal College of Midwives General Secretary Ruth Ashton at her retirement party last week. BBC social services correspondent Niall Dickson was on hand with the big red book' to say 'Ruth Ashton, this is your professional life'. Friends, family and colleagues organised the event in which key figures, including her sister Alison and health secretary Virginia Bottomley, paid tribute to Ms Ashton, retiring after 15 years in the top post. She is pictured handing on a relay baton to her successor, Julia Allison, right, after the event at London's Cafe Royal.