The Move From The Old Infirmary To Huddersfield Royal Infirmary 1966.

A Memory of Huddersfield.

I clearly remember arriving at 'Ellerslie' a large detached Victorian house situated in the suburb of Edgerton near Huddersfield. The house had been used as a nurses' training centre by 1960.
It was a pleasant day in April 1966 when I arrived in Dad's Austin A35. Dad got my luggage out of the boot and I walked up to the grand entrance of the building clutching my brown suitcase. The lady in charge of running the house greeted me at the front door and escort me upstairs into a large bedroom, which I was to share with three other girls. I was instructed to unpack, dress in my uniform, which I had been previously measured for, and report to the sitting room.
The rest of the group gradually arrived, a mixed bunch with a number of girls from Ireland plus two Indian and two Maltese girls. There was around twenty-five student nurses in total, eager to start Preliminary Nurse Training. The training was strict. Uniform had to be worn when attending lessons in Preliminary Training School, make-up and jewellery were not permitted and long hair had to be tied up neatly. Appearance must be neat and tidy when working in the hospital. Classes started at 8.30am until 5pm Monday to Friday. We had a written test on Saturday mornings and finished at mid-day. We were allowed to go home, but had to return by 10pm on Sunday evening when the front door was locked. Lights had to be out by 10.30pm. We were exhausted by the end of the twelve weeks, and relieved to be moving to the new nurses home at Lindley.
The nurses' home and school of nursing were in the hospital grounds, only a short walk to the Main Hospital building. My room was a pleasant surprise. Yellow curtains were draped down either side of a large window, giving my room a bright, cheerful feel. It was a spacious room with modern furniture in light wood. A single bed had shelves at the side for books. A sink and mirror was in the corner of the room and a beige fitted carpet lay in the floor. There was a dozen or so rooms on each corridor with shared bathrooms and toilets. A kitchen and laundry room was also available.
I vividly recall the move of in-patients from the Old Infirmary at Portland Place to the New Huddersfield Royal Infirmary at Lindley on September 22 1966. The main hospital had opened its doors in 1965. It had been a 15 year slog as Huddersfield Old Infirmary had become increasingly unfit for purpose. Overcrowding in the wards as doctors and nurses soldiered on in 'nigh-impossible ' conditions.
I was on late shift so had plenty of time to observe the activities. The atmosphere was electric. At 8am the first of 117 patients were transferred from Portland Place to the New Lindley Hospital. Numerous agencies were at hand to ensure a smooth transition, iincluding the Local Defence Corps who set up a two-way radio link between the two hospitals. There was intense activity but everything seemed to be running smoothly.
I felt proud to be wearing my uniform, blue and white check cotton dress and thick belt in the same material, a separate heavily starched white collar to be attached to the dress and secured with a button at the back and a stud at the front, and a white cap. A white starched apron had only to be worn while working in the hospital. I attached my brand new pocket watch onto my uniform with a chain and placed pens in my pocket. Black stockings and black shiny shoes completed the look. My thick black woollen cape with its bright red lining came in useful in the winter weather.
Walking across to the new hospital was much easier than travelling to Portland Place. Huddersfield Royal Infirmary was said to be one of the finest in the country. It had a brighter and much more cheerful atmosphere than the Old Infirmary. When patients looked through the windows they saw green fields and Castle Hill, not the industrial centre of the town.
It was a privilege to work in such a modern hospital. It had lots of innovative features and was the first in the country to install a new type of patients' bedside locker incorporating nurse -call communication and radio systems. When a patient pressed the call button it would also light up the nurses station, which was more convenient than shouting for a nurse.
Huddersfield Royal Infirmary was officially opened on 27 January 1967 by the then Prime Minister Harold Wilson.
Molly Brearley.
(nee Clark)

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