My Days At Heswall

A Memory of Heswall.

I was on The Anne White Wing for 18 months and loved every minuite. I remember nurses called Dennis Sidebottom, Karen Gullick, and Steve Eastburn. I used to go to the hospital school during the week and I think my teacher was called Mrs Hughes. The eldest boy in my class ws called Peter, he was a day patient. We became friends and spent a lot of time together exploring the hospital. We were really naughty as we used to go up the bell tower in the porters lift. Up in the attic space were lots of old hospital patient records that were all hand written.
Some of my favourite memories were when the submariners from HMS Oppertune submarine used to visit and take us out. We had a party on board the submarine and they also took us to see Wings in concert. I remember a girl, Vivienne Holdship who I became friends with and a girl called Janet. I remember after school, we used to have sandwiches or cake and biscuits before going for a walk to a place called the Dingle. We would then go back for dinner.
I used to really enjoy playing out in the grounds as well, there was an old boat full of sand and a steam roller. I hurt my arm swinging from a rope in one of the trees and it snapped.
At Christmas we did a nativity play and I played the angel Gabriel. I can remember scanning the audience for my nan and parents but they weren't there. I got back to the ward and was told they didn't make it because our car had broken down.
I was really upset when it was time for me to leave the hospital and go home as I had got used to being there and being happy. If anyone remembers me please get in touch, my name was Dianna Gough in those days. I came from Warrington. It was round the time when they were trying to close the hospital down, as I can remember the news photographers coming in with the cameras and watching myself on the news later. Happy Days.....