Bedford....Happy Childhood Memories.

Probalby St. Johns Railway Station, Bedford (apprently near Barkers Lane, Bedford ?).

Have now ascertained that my Grandmother and I would have alighted from the train at the** St. Johns (Bedford) railway station and then travelled via a family- lorry *south of Goldington Village. I remember the *white railway crossing gates, (Barkers lane railway Crossing) the smallish (a few separate corrugated and part wood buildings) and have discovered that the originally the isolation hospital (situated then in the Newnham Avenue and/or St. Helena Road, area) was named the *Borough Isolation Hospital**, for infectious diseases and stood most likely in or off a *small-holding (or nearby allotment area), east of Mile Road, Bedford. and the **same original part of the hospital building renamed 3, Newnham Cottages. The isolation hospital was converted into Bungalows sometime in (or just after) 1947. Samuel Lewis Day was recorded as living at 3, Newnham Cottages, (original known postal address, Newnham Hospital which was on the exact same site as the later renamed Newnham Cottages) in Kellys Bedford Directory in 1952. The Bungalows have now apparently also long gone and would have stood in Newnham Avenue, maybe in the near vicinity of the then **Kelvin Grove (now known as Kelvin *Avenue and fairly close to the *Bull Hotel). and perhaps towards the Windsor Road present day industrial estate area ?. Could the isolation hospital it have been in fairly short walking distance (or not) of Priory Park (and or off Barkers Lane) area also ?.. Apparently the Bedford Hitchin Line could be fairly easily seen from the Hospital area. The Isolation Hospital is marked and recorded as Isolation Hospital . *****Here in St. Helena*s Road**,on also a * 1924 * South Bedford area ordnance survey Map and records that then a Miss I.T. McGrouther, the Hospital Matron resided (and worked there). Various nearby street names have come up with regard to my Hospital research and I know it is not rocket science but obviously I have *whittled then down to (Mile Road) Newnham Hospital later Newnham Cottages, Kelvin Avenue and Windsor road area but ** St Helena Road* could well have been the nearest to the long gone Newnham Hospital..

Phew........all but solved. A long journey however the Isolation Hospital once stood in vicinity of the past, No 3, Newnham Cottages, Newnham, (the apparent area was not far from St. Helena Road and not too far from the present day BULL HOTEL (Bedford) and almost certain to have been set back a little off any main road, in a smallish field, smallholding where at some distance the railway line (Bedford to Hitchin) could still be seen...

Only two extremely brief apparent **very rare references making any mention of Bedford (** Volumne 81, Page 47 Borough) Isolation Hospital found namely..................... (1) A February 1933 Bedford Council Record, records a *** Miss McGrouther (later described as then **Matron, in **1924 ordanance survey Bedford, **people street reference also map**. Miss McGrouther and staff donated the sum of ten shillings towards the Nightingale Hospital Trust. It is apparent that a Miss I.T. McGrouther worked as a nurse in the (Borough Bedford) isolation Hospital from at least nine years from 1924 to 1933. (2) The S. Leonards, (Victoria Road) Bedford Parish Magazine of February 1940 (Price two pence). describes the **boundaries of**, St Leonards Parish, as.... .(a) The Hitchin (L. M. S Railway) from the *Ouse to the *** ****Isolation Hospital and then namely **The Borough Boundary from the ****isolation hospital to the river via * Mile Road ..........(b) past Robertsons works................

**Verified the **Bedford (Borough) infectious diseases' hospital once stood fairly near the Bull Hotel, (Bedford) no more than 10 to 15 Minutes walk (maximum) in the general vicinity of St Helena Road or Kelvin Grove. in a small field (small holding)..

**Precise location of Hospital now given by Harriet Richardson, Isolation Hospitals investigator. The Bedford Borough Hospital that I based my **Happy Childhood memories**, on once **stood just off the **south side of a street called ***Vulcan Street, Newham, Bedford (until the late 195Os), and a **cannister factory was built during the 196Os nearby and** new houses* were built were the isolation hospital once stood..*** ,Please now refer to Historical England Archives, Keeble Drive, Swindon. Quoting |References*** BF100280 **and** BF100281, the latter reference for the isolation Hospital subject to my childhood holiday for further information, if required. **Phew**what a quest, mission accomplished.

Found the Hospital clearly marked on a 192Os map in St. HELENA ROAD, Newnham, Bedford, again very near the BULL PUBLIC HOUSE, BEDFORD.

Verified that the Hospital was built with corrugated iron roofs (looked similar to separated Army type Huts with adjoining wooden cottage annex).