Shotley Bridge Hospital
My father was deputy head porter at the hospital, he worked there for 40 years. When I came out of the Royal Air Force in 1959 I did not work for a few months until early 1960 when my father gave me a job as a porter at the hospital. I worked mainly up at the huts, it was an interesting job. I did all kinds of things. I remember Jack Thompson who was the porter in the morgue, he used to help the doctor do post mortems. When I delivered mail I would knock on his door but would never go in. I really enjoyed my short time at the hospital. I left to get married in Buxton, Derbyshire.
I have since been back several times over the years and all the old building (wards) have been demolished, to be replaced by new buildings. I suppose it's an improvement but lots of memories were in the old building, especially the huts which were built for the wounded soldiers during the war years. Some things are never forgotten.
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RE: RE: Shotley Bridge Hospital
Hi again Alan! I lived up Summerhill [for too short a time!], close to the station and walked to Benfieldside Junior School through the hospital grounds and at the time, past where they were building the prefabs! Every day we'd talk to a German POW who was a gardener at the hospital, before being repatriated. He didn't want to go back to Germany. A bunch of us kids went carol singing in the 'huts' at the hospital, probably 1947 and I remember the patients enjoying it and some of them weeping and they gave us lots of money, which was our primary motive for going there! Already mercenary little b------s! When my step-mother found out we'd been, to quote her 'begging', my brother and I had to give our share to the Dr. Barnardo Home!
Comment from Marguerite Schilpp Nee Johnson on Sunday, 29th January 2012.
RE: RE: Shotley Bridge Hospital
I was nursing at SBH from 1953 to 57 mostly on the "huts" on the chest unit, then ward 19 as a staff nurse before leaving for further studies in London. I lived at Medomsley and walked up and down Daisy Hill in the winter and cycled in the summer but usually pushing the bike up the hill (3 speed gears). Occasionally an empty ambulance would stop to give me a lift up the hill. I've been up north a few times over the years and was saddened to see some of the changes. However, I've lots of happy memories of the hospital and also Consett with the Friday night dances and being walked back to the bus station to catch the last bus at 10.30pm or, if I missed it, having a long walk home to face angry parents and being grounded for weeks.
Comment from Dorothy Mitra on Thursday, 26th April 2012.