Wednesday 14 November 2012

Margaret's Puzzling Photos


Because I couldn't place the locations of the photos below I asked Harry Dodgson for his opinion. Harry was a patient in 1937, see here, for his story. This is the reply he gave me.

Hi Fred
The pictures you sent puzzle me. I recall being in MHMH in 1937 in the small  boys ward and later in the big boys ward, and I don't recall them being anything like the pictures. I have some memory of being in Leeds Infirmary in 1935/36 and although those memories are somewhat faint, I was three at the time, and the cuttings seem to ring a faint bell. Frankly the wards in the cuttings look like a cots on a balcony, which they had in Leeds Infirmary at the time. I do remember them.
Regards
Harry


The caption on one of the photos in question is "To make a Merry Christmas at The Marguerite Home of the Leeds Invalid Children's Aid Society at Thorp Arch: Nurses decorating a ward." This adds to the mystery to some extent because I haven't of heard of the hospital being addressed in quite this way before.

So were the photos taken at MHH or a nearby "Home" or even at Leeds Infirmary? Unless someone out there knows different then of course we must go with Margaret's information. Can you clarify this for us?

As an aside Harry Dodgson now lives in Australia and is busily writing. His first novel "The Rainbow Serpent" is available via Amazon


From Jane Freeland (17th February, but added again 23 August 214!!)
Could it be that the problem about the name is that, before it became the MH Hospital, the place used to be a "Home". See the history of the hospital, various installments further down.