Bearsted Maternity Hospital

A Memory of Hampton Wick.

1948 was the year I was born. My parents were living in Twickenham at the time. My mother was admitted to The Bearsted in Hampton Wick and I was born there. It stands only about 100 yards from Hampton Court Palace front gate, in the road directly opposite. It was apparently a VERY hot summer! This summer I went back to Hampton, as part of a 60th birthday treat my husband organised for me and found the building the maternity home had been in. It has recently been converted into luxury flat and is called The Rotary. It was however as my father described it as a large Victorian buliding, with gardens that swept down to the bank of the Thames. I took a photo of it as it is now from the front. I have since discovered that The Bearsted was named after the 1st Viscount Samuel Bearsted who died in 1927. It was a maternity hospital then for the Jewish community. I would love to see photographs of it as it was - so if anyone has any or knows where I could find some it would be great.