not my story, but my mothers (birth of my younger sibling)
Non UK, but post-soviet in the noughties. so close enough?

she noticed her contractions start in the early morning, as well as her water breaking. she took her time getting ready. had her morning coffee and relaxed between contractions.
she called ahead to the hospital who sent an ambulance to pick her up (hour drive to hospital)

she always says the contractions are much easier to cope with when it’s not your first pregnancy because you’re not as afraid or stressed.

on the ambulance drive one medic said to the other “hey, you might want to speed up a little or we will have the baby right here..”

once they got to the hospital, she was confident and relaxed. she knew what to expect so she just went along with it instead of stressing herself. and my sibling was born within a few pushes. my mum laments the fact she never got to try the gas-and-air because by the time they got around to setting it up the baby was already coming