My Memories Of Chandler's Ford, Approx. L934/5

A Memory of Chandler's Ford.

In the spring/early summer of 1935 I was admitted to Chanderr's Ford Sanitorium for treatment of tuberular glands in the neck. I spent six months there and have some happy memories of feeding the pigs, picking and eating fruit and other happy children. The treatment was excellent and I have only three unhappy memories. The first being treatment for hives when I was admitted. At bed time my hands were tied above my head and secured with gauguse bandages to the bars of the meal cot I slept in. Every morning two nurses came to remove the scabs that had formed during the night. The method used was dreadful, tweezers were used and the scabs ripped that had formed overnight. This percedure continued until the hives were no longe visible. The second memory is of a beautiful young girl (around 12'ish I would think). I awoke to see the nurses putting screens around her bed but from where my bed was I could see through the particitions of the screens. She was propped up and remember there was a great deal of blood visible. We were told the next morning that she had gone home as her bed was empty. It was some years before I realised what had happened to her. Every day after lunch we were put to bed for a rest. A nurse would come to each bed and give us a piece of fruit. On one particular day I got two square of dark chocolate. In the middle of the night my tummy was very uncomfortable and the cramps were quite severe. I called and called for a nurse who eventally came and brought me a chamber pot. As the beds were high (I had graduated from a cot to an iron framed bed by this time), I had to jump onto the floor and landed with one foot in the chamber pot! The nurse was not amused as by this time it was too late for the pot to be of any use to me! She was cross! On the whole my memories of Chandler's Ford are happy ones My mother came every Sunday to visit and one Sunday brought my dad who had been a patient in Haslar Hospital and he was extremebly upset that I did not remember him and hid behind my mother's skirt when he tried to approach me. He was in the Royal Marines and about to embark on another commission. I hid behind my mother as this dark haired man was unknown to me and having had so many doctors exam my neck I was a very frightened little girl at the thought of another examination as some of the Doctor's were not very gentle. The staff at Chandler's Ford were on the whole very kind to me and in spite of the illness that sent me there, generally speaking it was a happoy time for me and I treasure the se memories. We were extremely well cared for and the meals were excellent.