Shotley Bridge Hospital

A Memory of Shotley Bridge.

My father was deputy head porter at the hospital, he worked there for 40 years. When I came out of the Royal Air Force in 1959 I did not work for a few months until early 1960 when my father gave me a job as a porter at the hospital. I worked mainly up at the huts, it was an interesting job. I did all kinds of things. I remember Jack Thompson who was the porter in the morgue, he used to help the doctor do post mortems. When I delivered mail I would knock on his door but would never go in. I really enjoyed my short time at the hospital. I left to get married in Buxton, Derbyshire.

I have since been back several times over the years and all the old building (wards) have been demolished, to be replaced by new buildings. I suppose it's an improvement but lots of memories were in the old building, especially the huts which were built for the wounded soldiers during the war years. Some things are never forgotten.

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