Nursing Auxillary in Abraham Cowley Unit, Chertsey

Holloway Sanatorium c1955
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I moved to Sandy Lane, opposite Lindsey Smith nurses' accommodation in Virginia Water. There were twelve of us auxillaries from Scotland as far as Kent. We all used to go out to the local pub by the station, The Trotsworth, and ask for a glass of water if we were feeling the pinch. We had a minibus that took us to work at St. Peter's Hospital. Unfortunately The Holloway Sanotorium was closed by then, but we did meet Madonna's bodyguards at the local pub when she was with Sean Penn making a movie called 'Shanghai Surprise'. Bonnie Tyler did the video for 'Total Eclipse of the Heart' there as well. We also worked with nurses who used to work at the sanatorium and were told about the haunting picture in the main hall whose eyes followed you everywhere. It would have been fantastic to look around the place, but due to a lot of filming and adverts made there it was not possible. A lovely place to live in Virginia Water and the lake and Wentworth, great friendships made and great memories.