Lord Mayor Treloars Hospital 1953 1958

A Memory of Alton.

Starting when I was eleven I was a patient over 5 years for three spells, 2 years, 18 months and 9 months with an infected hip joint which became a deep routed abscess. Many different ‘ new’ antibiotics were tried to no effect. In my first spell I was bed bound for 21 months and spent virtually all my time on the terrace, day and night, summer and winter in an effort to get clear the infection. New hot water bottles every hour in the winter and only coming inside when snow was too heavy. Three others on the terrace we’re Ronnie Tench, Charlie Waterman and David Brady. My daily medicine included a small bottle of stout.
Ward sister was Effie Foster ( strict but caring), Scottie was in charge of the trolley to move patients along with Alfie Goddard, the porter. In my later spells I was able to move around freely on crutches and spent many hours playing billiards with Alfie in their staff restroom. Nursing staff were brilliant, I remember Janet V Church who started as a junior and later came back as a staff/senior nurse. They dealt with naughtiness with great patience, coming on duty on April 1 to find all beds had been removed from the ward!
Schooling was carried out daily, one ward teacher for all 30 beds. I had passed my 11+ just before becoming ill so I had a separate teacher for a very limited time each week ( a very kind Mr Kendrick) plus a nice lady teacher for french. Eventually I even took my ‘O’ levels, I failed all but eventually I retook successfully at my school. I even received confirmation classes and was confirmed in hospital.
Visiting was 2 hours on Sat and Sun. My mother caught a special coach on a Sunday from Bournemouth that came direct to the hospital. I was only able to see my brother at Xmas.
Xmas memories are staff hanging up Xmas stockings and a surgeon ( J D Wilson or S
Evans) carving a turkey.

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