Beech memories
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Memories of Hampshire
Batt Family
My faher, Herbert Alexander, was born in Church Cottage, Bentworth in 1893. His mother waa Emma Alexander (nee Batt). The Batt family had lived in Bentworth for many years. In the 1950s a descendent of the Batt family, William Loren Batt, came to England from America searching for his ancestors from Bentworth. In the 1850s his great-grandfather and several other members of the Batt family emigrated to America. He traced the family back to 1784 when Thomas Batt married Frances Gardiner at Old ALresford. On his return to the USA Wiliam wrote a small book entitled "Hunting Batts in England" about his experiences in tracing the Batt family. He also arranged for a gravestone to be erected in Bentworth Churchyard to the memory of John & Martha Batt, married in Bentworth in 1804, and other descendents of the Batt family interred in the Churchyard.
Lindsey Cottage And The White House
In 1949 my mother and I moved to Bentworth when my mother became the Health Visitor for Alton. We first stayed at rooms in the White House which was diagonally across from the Dugdales in the Big house at Bentworth. We then moved to Lindsey Cottage, opposite the Star, which introduced both of us to an outside khazi! But it was a lovely cottage and I used to listen to 'Dick Barton' on the radio whilst have a bath in the old tub in front of the sitting room fire. During the bad 1948 winter I can remember returning to the village by bus from Alton. During those days the bus went via Medstead which meant turning right to Bentworth and going down the perilous twisty road (I believe it was staightened and widened in the 1960s). The bus slid and got wedged in the narrow lane. It was a happy time as I met up with the Dugdale kids and used their tree house. After that I went off to prep school and only... Read more
Treloar Hospital
I was a patient in this hospital in 1955 when I was ten years old. There were very caring nurses and also a hospital school which helped me immensely during my stay of about two months. At that time I believe it was named The Lord Mayor Treloar hospital for Crippled Children. Not very "P C" by 21st century standards of description!
Anyway, the nurses were truly excellent and they needed to be as so many of us were long stay patients and in the 1950's the visiting hours were extremely limited so young children missed their families. In fine weather our beds were wheeled out on to a terrace and I can remember having some arithmetic lessons there. I recovered fully from surgery to both of my feet and went home with plaster casts and eventually was able to do everything I wanted - cycling, cross-country running and much much later morris dancing!
Student Nurse Shawyer
I was a student nurse at Lord Mayor Treloars from January 1962 until January 1964. Those two years orthopaedics were affiliated with other hospitals which allowed us to start training before 18 which was the minimum age for General Nursing commencement, when the students moved on the 3 year general training was reduced to two years. The hospital was a very happy place because many of the patients were long stay, young, cheerful and perfect! The nurses home is shown in this photograph, it was always warm and friendly. I had several rooms in the home, the attic window just visible beyond the second A was my favourite, the only disadvantage being if you got in from a date late, after 10pm lock up you could not get in a window, then you had to knock up a friend whose room was on the ground floor, she would then pass her laundry box out the window for you to stand on, then you had to lean out and pull the basket back... Read more
Children's Ward 1959
I spent several months in Treloar with Polio. I was five years old and from what I have been told, at deaths door. Can't say that I remember much except the nurses smiles and the pictures of Micky Mouse on the windows. I would like to thank the staff for whatever they did to save my life, as from being paralyzed from my left arm across my body to my right leg, I went on to have a fantastic life seeing the world and having children and grandchildren. Thank you.
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