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. 

Margaret Molyneux's Photographs

Margaret has offered us some scanned images showing her mother decorating wards on 24th December 1936

The one above shows a girl dressed in a skirt and other children in the beds and therefore suggests it was taken in the Girls ward. The nurse marked by a cross in both pictures is Margaret's mum, Jean Elizabeth Wright.

Here the cots suggest the decorations are being put up in the babies ward. However my memories of the wards I was a patient in leave something of a puzzle. I remember flat ceilings and wider room width and Jane has no memory of these locations either. Both of the above pictures show sloping beams and narrow rooms so where were they taken? The only sloping beamed roof I remember was the canopied area outside the big boys ward where we often spent our days and nights. Any offer of help in locating where these were taken would be gratefully appreciated.

 This last one has a reference to a "News" photographer and from this I assume that all three images, cuttings from newsprint, were taken for the Yorkshire Evening News. It looks as if Margaret's mum Jean has allocated numbers to record the names of those in the picture but that information is no longer available. As Christmas day in 1936 was a Friday I assume this was taken  on Wednesday the 23rd December. 

Our thanks go to Margaret for providing these Newspaper cuttings, I wonder if anyone out there has anything similar they would like to share with us.

Patricia Senior (nee Tasker) recalls her 1959 hospital stay

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, so they say.  My stay in a children’s orthopaedic hospital certainly proved to be very character forming.

It was in 1959, very soon after sitting my Eleven Plus exam, that I was admitted to Leeds General Infirmary for ‘investigations’.  I had been diagnosed with Stills Disease, a form of rheumatoid arthritis that affects both children and also adults, as a baby.  I had been getting progressively unwell and struggling with very stiff and painful knee joints every morning, and after school.  They told me I would be in hospital for a few days. They lied! After taking some kind of sample from my right knee whilst I was under a full anaesthetic in Leeds General Infirmary for a few days, they then dispatched me to the Marguerite Hepton  Orthopaedic Hospital  for children where I was to be an inmate for almost a whole year.  When I was finally discharged I was able to join my friends at Roundhay High School in the September  as we all began the second year.

I recently found that this blog exists, which has contributions from various people who were patients and staff at the hospital from the opening  in 1910 to its closure in 1985.  The most recent contribution on the blog at the time of my writing is by Susan Lee  who was a patient there twice in the 50s and I too recall singing the same song.


Seeing this brought back  a few more long forgotten memories as during my time on the girls ward a couple of years later we too used to sing this same song.  Many of the things mentioned in other people’s posts also were familiar to me, despite the fact that many recount experiences from an earlier decade!
I remember feeling quite betrayed when they took me off to Thorpe Arch, but I don’t remember arriving there and settling in.  It must have been quite horrible though.  We were only allowed visitors on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.  I was probably more fortunate than many since my parents had a car and could visit more easily than those who had to travel by bus.  But my dad worked at M&S and so I doubt they came Saturdays.  I was under the care of Mr Clarke and I remember groups of suited men descending and making  rounds of their patients once a week.  I had my right leg up in traction by then and was well and truly tethered to my bed.  The doctors used to put their hands on my knees to feel for inflammatory heat.  This continued for several months until one day they decided that the right knee had improved, and it was released from traction, but that same day they strung up the other leg!  I was almost suicidal for a while.

Other people have written more technically about the procedures and types of splints etc used in those days.  I believe the bed with its overhead frame to which my splinted leg was attached by means of weights and pulleys was called a Balkan Beam.  All I know was that when the nurses weren’t looking I would sometimes haul myself upright with my arms and stand for a short while on the leg that wasn’t held straight in the splint contraption.  The very worst thing though, as someone else mentioned, was when they changed the long strips of elastoplast which ran down either side of the leg from top of the thigh to the ankle.  Getting this elastoplast off was excruciatingly painful.  Others have written about the regular rubbing down with methylated spirits we received to prevent bedsores;  I’d completely forgotten this routine until reading their accounts.

I remember there was some kind of bathroom at the top end of the ward where we were taken and bathed occasionally.  I hated it as we used to be placed on a table prior to being bathed and this put us level with some kind of window out onto the ward.  As a young teenager I was very embarrassed by the lack of privacy.  The beds on the girls ward were arranged so that the youngest, babies and toddlers I think, were at the bathroom and office end whilst the oldest girls, of which I was one, were housed at the furthest end.  The entire length of the ward had opening French windows on one side, and my bed was on that side.  And against the very bottom end wall stood an old upright piano, which I don’t recall anyone ever playing.  Above it was a small wall-mounted television, but again I don’t remember watching it.  Much of the time we were outdoors, wheeled on our beds through the French windows onto the ‘veranda’ outside.  In retrospect it was more like a patio, but I doubt that word existed back then.  We spent most days out there, in all weathers.  How we survived the onslaught of fresh air I don’t know.  We had our meals out there, and our lessons.  I quite enjoyed the schoolwork, and did a lot of drawing and painting and other crafts, sometimes for entering into competitions.

I still have a copy of the 50th Anniversary booklet that was produced in 1960.

 

This picture taken from an earlier post shows the Girls Ward, the one I was on.

When our families visited they would wheel us around the grounds in our beds. Here is a photo of me with some of my relatives one visiting day.

This was the only time we got to see the boys, which created quite a bit of excitement for us older girls.  We sometimes got pushed as far as the field where there stood an old gypsy type caravan.  And there were rabbits in hutches in another part of the grounds.  Many of my aunts worked at Terrys and Rowntrees in York so they would bring lots of ‘waste’ sweets for me but all these had to be handed in and we were allowed to choose stuff when it was given back to us in moderation during a daily sweet round.  This was a sensible way to avoid problems as keeping our weights within healthy bounds as bedridden but growing children must have been a priority.  I was on cortisone medication so I swelled up quite a bit during my time there as a side effect of the drug, something not ideal for when I eventually had to learn to walk again!   I think I enjoyed most of the food, with the exception of the Allbran which we were forced to eat most morning for breakfast.  Just the thought of it even today still makes me retch!  But no doubt they had to keep our immobile young bodies ‘regular’ and I recall this was a major pre-occupation.  Sister used to advise my mother to bring in Pontefract Cakes to feed to me, and they always did the trick!

The song I quoted at the beginning uses the words, “that’s the way we family down Thorpe Arch way”, and this is very apt in my opinion.  Some of us were there for several months, which was long enough, but others had spent years in hospital.  We were a family.  We didn’t have much but we did have each other, and some friendships were very strong and therapeutic.  My closest friend was called Janet.  I think she had spent seven or eight years of her life in and out of hospital.  She had brittle bone disease.  When new girls came in we used to warn them not to let their bedcovers trail onto the floor or the spiders and cockroaches would climb up during the night.  Fortunately none of us relaised at the time that cockroaches can fly!  We were only aware of them scuttling about on the floor in the dark.  You could catch a glimpse of them by our or the nurses torchlights, and you could hear the occasional one crunch under a nurse’s foot as they did their nightime rounds to check that we were all asleep.  It was during the hours of darkness that I would catch glimpses of a little field mouse that seemed to inhabit the piano as he was often to be seen sitting on one of the piano’s feet.  Daytimes too provided us with opportunities to appreciate local wildlife, usually birds, which were frequent visitors around our beds.  Insects too played a regular part of our daily outdoor lives.  I read in one of the posts on the blog about someone finding a dead wasp inside there plaster cast when it was cut off.  My memorable wasp experience was more direct, one day I sat on one!

We used to plan all kinds of mischief.  Prior to April Fools Day we devised a complex charade which involved me pretending to have fallen of the bed (maybe I was no longer attached to the frame by this point?) onto the floor with blood coming from my leg.  I don’t remember whether or not we actually carried it out but some time , probably after that date, there was a terrible accident in the night which was quite frightening.  One of the nurses somehow walked or fell through a glass door further back in the building and was badly injured.  There was a lot of noise and commotion.  I think she was ok in the end.  Other frightening or exciting events were when prisoners or inmates from the adjacent open prison and remand home went awol and teams of prison officers and police would go past our French windows in the night with torches searching for the escapees.

Despite the fact that I spent my 12th birthday and Christmas 1959  in the hospital I remember little of any celebrations for either, although I’m sure there must have been some.  I think my right leg was up in traction for about six months, then my left one for another three or more.  After that I was learning to walk for quite a while so that my time as a  patient there stretched to almost a full year.  I don’t have any record of my actual dates of admission and discharge.

I mentioned the existence of boys earlier.  They were accomodated on a different ward but we did see them at weekends when our visitors took us out in our beds.   We girls used to be quite interested and pester the nurses for information as to the different boys names and ages.  Most of the nurses were very young themselves and happily went along with our curiosities, to the extent that they would act as go- betweens carrying ‘love’ letters.  I still have some of these and intend to add them to this post when I can finally locate there whereabouts!

There is a post on the blog made in 2008 from a Malcolm Benson who was a nine year old patient during the same time I was there.  He is able to recall the names of some of the staff which he quoted, and thanks to him,  I am delighted now to be able to recognise and remember the names of the following three  nurses Woodhead, Huddleston and Rennie.

At some point they set me free from my bed and then I had to relearn to walk.  I don’t remember getting much specialist help on the ward, but as soon as any of us became vaguely mobile there was stuff to do.  We had to pick up dropped items for our fellow patients, and fetch and carry a few things, I don’t remember the details.  The best thing was though that I got sent by ambulance once a week to Harrogate Spa Baths for hydrotherapy.  This was the highlight of my life.  The ride there and back in the ambulance represented freedom from school and confinement, and my mother met me at the baths and spent a few hours with me before and after treatment.  The pool itself was bliss, and instead of being put in the sling, if I was lucky the hydrotherapist, who was a lovely young man, lifted me in and out of the water.  After my treatment and exercises the attendants wrapped me in lovely warm towels and left me to rest for twenty minutes tucked up on a bed in a little cubicle.  Then I joined my mum, who pushed me in a wheelchair into the cafe where we had coffee and cakes and were entertained by the palm court orchestra which played in the cafe in the centre of the lovely old building, before I was eventually returned to my ambulance and transported back to Thorpe Arch.  It was a lovely day out.

Learning to walk again though was hard, and when I eventually went home I was only just able to manage, but I was able to finally begin high school in September of 1960, after missing the entire first year of secondary education.  It was a bit tricky fitting in as a latecomer but I picked up everything well, except French, which I hated and never felt happy trying to speak.  I was back, just in time to participate in the Swinging Sixties.  Just three years and a couple of months  later I was backstage at an Arts Ball in Bradford talking to the Rolling Stones, but that’s a whole other story……

To read more of Trish's interesting and challenging story visit her blog here.

Susan Lee's Thorp Arch Experiences

My name is Susan Lee (formerly Susan Keeler) and I was in Marguerite Hepton Hospital at Thorp Arch in 1955 (aged 9 years) and again in 1957 (aged 11 years) following admission to St. James’s Hospital for hip problems.

 

I remember that on my admission  in 1955 a girl called Barbara who had TB of the spine and two years later when I was there again, Barbara was still there!  I could not believe that someone was in hospital all that time.

 

I also remember a song we all used to sing which was as follows:

There is a happy land far far away

Where we get jam and bread 3 times a day

Egg and bacon we don’t see

We get sawdust in our tea

That’s the way we family

Down Thorp Arch way

 

Some folks say it’s a very nice place

But I don’t think that’s true

As long as you’re a walking girl

You’ll have lots of things to do!

 

You’ll be up and down the ward

With a bedpan in your arms

.......................................................

.......................................can’t remember this bit!

 

Singing Mummy, Daddy take me home

From this orthopaedic home

I’ve been here a year or two

And now I want to be with you

 

I’ll say goodbye all the Doctors

Goodbye all the Nurses

Goodbye all the Sisters

And the jolly old Matron too!

 

There may be more to this song but unfortunately I can’t remember them.  Does anyone else remember this song?

 

I also remember the lack of visiting times.  I only saw my parents on a Saturday and Sunday and I know it was difficult for them to get to Thorp Arch as we had no transport and they had to rely on public transport.  My sister who is 4 years younger than me could not visit as you had to be over 12 years to visit someone in hospital then.  Can you imagine this happening now?

 

I also remember the sweets that visitors brought us were all kept away and dished out daily after lunch, but I’m sure the nurses ate more than the patients did.

 

I cannot remember the names of any of the staff but I know that my consultant was a Mr. J.M.  Fitton who was based at St. James’s Hospital.

 

I remember all the patients being wheeled out on to the veranda on fine days and also being taught lessons.

 

 

Remembering learning to read - from Jane

Barry, thank you so much for these vivid memories. It seems that we were at Thorp Arch pretty much during the same period, though in those days the boys and girls rarely if ever met. Your memory of learning to read certainly stirred up a similar one I had - who knows we might have been having the same feeling of revelation at the same time! It seemed quite sudden and miraculous - one moment I was puzzling over some words on the back of a comic being read by the patient opposite me (whose name I can't remember), and the next, they said 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarves', as clearly as if someone was speaking them to me.

Do please send us more memories as they occur to you - and that goes for everyone else, of course

Memories from Barry Meadley, who was a patient 1944-1947/48, with TB of the left knee.

My name is Barry Meadley and I was a patient at MH 1944-1947/48.
Having just discovered your website and read all the blogs from former fellow patients, their recollections evoked so many memories. I was diagnosed with TB in my left knee in 1944 and spent a couple of weeks in Leeds General Infirmary then was transferred to Ida hospital at Cookridge, after a couple of months, moving on to MH. I marvel at the memories of some of my contemporaries who can still remember so many names and
incidents with such clarity !

I have no recollection of any names, but can recall some things that are etched in my memory for life. I am pleased to say that 99% of my memories are pleasant and grateful ones. That marvellous moment when you realise you can read and understand without stumbling over the words opened a wide world to a bed bound child, and I could never thank that wonderfully kind and patient lady teacher who enabled me to enter this world enough, Enid Blyton's Sunny Stories spring to mind !

I had my first eyetest at 6 yrs. old, was found to be short sighted, when I got my specs. I remembered being amazed to be able to make out the faces of the kids on the other side of the ward.

I remember a magician coming to give a show, all the beds were pushed together.I was close to the magician and as he pulled a large white rabbit out of a top hat, a photographer from the Yorkshire Evening News took a picture of me reaching out for it. I had a copy of this for years, but it was lost in a house move much to my regret.

It was great when the local hunt would visit on horseback complete with foxhounds. the dogs were so friendly and fussy and I remember one memorable occasion when they got overexcited ran through the ward, matron was not amused! There was one nurse who painted pictures of the huntsmen on old earthenware jamjars she was very talented.

It's funny but you only think that those summers were warm and sunny. being outside in only a splashcloth watching those who could be up splashing around the inflatable rubber dinghy filled with water, kindly loaned by the RAF I believe.

Everyone seems to remember sleeping on the veranda, and that includes me, it does'nt seem to have done any of us any harm. I remember if you were unlucky and were covered by an open weave type cover it was not uncommon to wake up next morning, a bat with it's claws tangled in your bedding! A lot of the nurses shied away from releasing them!!

So much more springs to mind, the Rugby teams visiting after playing at York,conkers from the trees in the drive, playing with the rugby ball bladder in the big boys ward, learning to walk again to name just a few.

Earlier in my story I mentioned that 99% of my memories were pleasant ones, now to the 1% nasty! My hips, left leg and foot were in plaster for the duration of my time at MH, and as I grew, had to be renewed at regular intervals over the years. Unfortunately, now and again, the replacement was left a little late and the cast had become a little tighter than it should have been, which always resulted in what was for a small boy, a very painful and terrifying experience, of course at the time the electric cutting wheel instrument of today did not exist. The plaster cutters of the day resembled the chain and padlock cutters of today, instruments of torture!! I still bear the scars today on my leg and hips, where the plaster cutters took the flesh along with the plaster.

This is the only bad memory I have of my time in MH, I'm sure there must have been others, but at 73 yrs. old, they have faded away long ago. Apart from the obvious dedication of the staff, who will always have my undying gratitude, all my life I have been blessed with infinite patience, this I attribute to my early life spent in MH when we all lived and learned in a cocooned world of our own. Thank you all for stirring up so many memories.

Ann Shaw (co-author of "Children of Craig y Nos"

Thank you Dorothy for sharing this very brave account of your life.

It reflects so many stories that happened in Craig-y-nos too.
Ann Shaw
(co-author "Children of Craig-y-nos"

27 October 2011 21:42

Do you have a connecton with MHH? Do you have a story to tell?

I was a spinal TB patient for about 5 years (1943 to 1948), first in Wales, where my Dad was posted in the RAF (at Crossways hospital, near Cardiff), and then at the Marguerite Hepton Orthopaedic Hospital at Thorpe Arch, near Wetherby, Yorkshire. Eventually, developments in surgical techniques and antibiotics helped me recover fully.
I'm now 68, and I feel there's a story to be explored here about the hospital itself, the experience of TB patients at that time, and its effects on patients' later lives. It should be told by many voices - of patients, nurses, teachers, doctors and others who looked after us, and may be those of their children and grandchildren.
The hospital closed in 1985, became an old people's home and has now vanished under a housing development. Thanks to the Craig-y-Nos blog, about a similar hospital in Wales, and with good help from Dr Carole Reeves at the Wellcome Foundation Trust, this blog is gradually taking shape as people contact us to share their experience (See the link to the Craig-y-Nos blog on the left of the texts). We hope anyone connected with the hospital in the past will read the blog and add stories and comments, so that we can make a personal oral history.

Dorothy Davies Autobiography

I was admitted to St James’ Hospital, Leeds at the age of 9 with osteomyelitis in my left femur.  My life changed forever, little did I know at the time just how life changing this was going to be.  I felt very alone there as my bed was pushed out into a corridor every day.  As I was very pale, they thought it would do me good to see and feel the sun and fresh air coming through the windows. 

After a month I was transferred to Marguerite Hepton Hospital – Thorp Arch.  I was in plaster from the chest down.  I enjoyed the schooling there.  The teacher was called Miss Field.  It must have been quite difficult for Miss Field as we were all different ages ( 5 – 16 years).  She had to teach different programs for different children.

My memories of food aren’t  too good, I hated the rice pudding and lumpy potatoes.  If you didn’t eat it a nurse would bring it back for your next meal, and made you eat it.  Once, the girl in the next bed to me was sick in her rice pudding and she was made to eat it.  You can imagine the outcome; I can’t face rice pudding to this day. 

However, most of the nurses were kind.  I did see the odd acts of cruelty to some children.  Although I felt helpless and very, very angry, oh so angry, I was angry with myself for not being able to do anything, but personally I didn’t suffer any of this.  Now I feel very strongly about abuse of any kind. 

It did have huge impact on my life being separated from loved ones.  Visiting was on a Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday afternoon, 2pm – 3pm.  Of course there were no phones there and we all loved getting letter from our loved ones.  Sadly some children didn’t get any visitors.

We did have a TV (donated by a girl’s dad) but I couldn’t see it, as it was too far away.  

We used to get pushed outside daily. I remembered playing with a coloured ball.  I really loved meal time outside as the birds were so tame they used to sit on your knife and fork!

Bonfire night too was brilliant, as it was the only time I saw one of my sisters.  She was too young to visit as she was 11, and you had to be 12. That night Dad was allowed to wheel me to the gate to see here for a few minutes used to see my other sister June as she was old enough to visit with Mum and Dad 

We were not allowed to keep any sweets that our visitors gave us.  They were handed in and shared which was a really good thing.  Some things I don’t remember at all such as other patient’s names etc perhaps because I was flat on my back so my horizon was very limited. I do remember one girl who was in the bed at the end of the ward opposite to me, her name was Margret and I thought she was really old(16),she had TB of the spine and she was really brave and kind. She had dark thick hair and a warm smile; I never knew her second name

 I remember once I had visitors out of hours,, an elderly couple who knew my Mum and Dad.  They came from quite a distance and they were allowed to see me for 10 minutes.  They gave me a box of chocolate butterflies which I hid and ate later.  I did not enjoy them and felt ill and very guilty afterwards.  I learnt a valuable lesson that day. 

After 7 months I learnt I was to learn to walk again and go home.  They took my plaster off.  There was a thermometer, egg shells, dead wasp (to this day I am terrified of wasps) and lots more rubbish.  There was a lump of hard skin the same shape as my foot that came away.  For some reason beyond my comprehension one of the nurses thought this was fascinating.  I still feel a debt of gratitude to the very kind nurses.

I then went to Potternewton Mansion School quite near where I lived.  It was a special school for handicapped children for the whole of Leeds.  Some had learning difficulties, some behavioural problems, so it was not really conducive for efficient learning. 

I was in a Miss Grahams Class who was sort of a bit miserable, she was a middle aged spinster, but she was quite an efficient teacher. 

For nature studies we had Miss Clark, I used to love her classes. 

There were two male teachers Mr Tempest and Mr Perry who very occasionally would take us in a English and Poetry Class.  Then a Mr Attack took over our class, he was a bit airy-fairy, but a lovely person.  The headmaster was a Mr Paden whose main hobby was stamp collecting.  I don’t know where he got them from but he seemed to get boxes and boxes of stamps. 

When I first started there I was a bit shocked at the wide range of disabilities.  Quite often people died at this school.  Some children had muscular dystrophy; others had a hole in the heart. These children would have blue lips. They often went into hospital and you would never se them again. 

I remember one boy, Phillip Stead 11 years old who I got very close to.  Sadly he had M.D. and just before he died he was take for a day out into the country.  He brought me back 2 yellow snails; I called 1 marigold and 1 buttercup.  I never saw him again.

We had a physiotherapy department.  The physiotherapist was Mr Lewis who was also the physio for the Leeds Rugby team and sometimes for the England Cricket team, when they played at Headingly. He was a large man, who gave the impression that he was very hard, both physically and emotionally. 

Swimming was quite a big feature of this school. Once a year we competed in a swimming gala with other local schools. We were given so many yards start.  I was never a brilliant swimmer but always enjoyed classes.  Except my first one as I couldn’t swim and I didn’t know if I was more scared of the water or more scared of Mr Lewis. I decided I was more scared of Mr Lewis, so got in the pool and learnt to swim

My close friend at the school was Jennifer Kemp, sadly we lost touch when she moved away.. I think she went on to be a lawyer

The actual school was an old mansion house located on the edge of a park.  We had quite a large landscaped area of grass and trees.  There were may different types of trees, a rare one being a tulip tree, and an evergreen oak. 

Just before I left to go to a normal school we had another new teacher Mr Hyatt a Jewish Vegetarian.  He was very laid back.  He influenced quite a few of us to become vegetarian.  He also did a lot of charity work for the RSPCA and encouraged us to become members. 

After a couple of years I was given a chance to go to a normal school.  It came as a big shock to me that some people just wanted to mess around and some had been over indulged by parents.  There were some idiots and worse bullies and being different I was a target for them.  I found this difficult to get used to.  They used to push me around and liked finding ways to cause me problems.  It made me realise how privileged I had been to know such wonderful, brave children from my last school.  Children who helped each other and supported each other and who  looked out for their team mates. 

I wasn’t allowed to do P.E. or swimming at the so-called ‘normal’ school. 

I must admit that I am a little nervous even to this day of falling, and lack confidence physically.

However, after leaving school I got a job in a sweet shop locally, which I loved.  The years went on and I got married and had 3 children.  Now I have several grand children and 2 great grand children. 

I have had a total hip replacement, which is probably one of the best parts of my body (no arthritis in it). I lead a normal life and I feel that I am a better, more patient person.  Having osteomyelitis has made me stronger and given me so many privileges in life.  I have been blessed to have me such wonderful people who have taught me so many of life’s values.  

Jane posting anonymous comment from someone seeking Joseph Dooker, a former patient born 1904

We don't normally like posting anonymous comments, but this might be of interest to some:
"Looking for information on a Joseph Dooker born 1904 Leeds, Yorkshire and was a patient at Thorp Arch Wetherby. On the 1911 census Helen Backhouse (37) was the Head, Matron of Convalescent Home and Florence Smith (26) Servant, General Domestic Servant."

Jane to Philip Sunderland

It would be great if you could share more of your memories from that time, Phil
Jane

Philip Sutherland - a patient from 1960-1963 responds to Vera Duxbury's posting on 5 February

I was in Marguerite Hepton Hospital from 1960 to 1963.
I remember Mr.Clarke the consultant,Some of the patients were Steven Rouse, Peter Hooton, Tony Wrench we had a nurse Carrick, Nurse Bedford, Sister Wheelan who was very fond of Frank Ifield. I met Billy Fury, Marty Wilde, and Eden Kane at the hospital, and the nurses were ready to faint at these pop stars.
I saw The Wizard of Oz on 16mm film at the hospital and Summer Holiday with Cliff Richard. I am always grateful to the doctors and nurses who cared for me and I have lots of fond memories.
Philip Sunderland

Jane responds to Robin Watson

Robin, I have posted your comment so that everyone can see it. I was a contemporary of yours (1944-8), though being a girl probably never even set eyes on you! I do agree with you about the debt of gratitude we owe to the nurses and doctors of that time. For ages when I was growing up, I wanted to be a nurse, but eventually went off in a different direction.
If you have any more memories to add,do get in touch, either with comments, or through the email contact.

Robin Watson (1941-48) - contemporary with Vera, acknowledges his debt to MH nurses like her

How amazing to hear from a member of staff who was at MH in the early 1940s. I was there at the same time as Vera, but being about 6 years old, don't remember Vera or any of the other staff. However, I would like to reassure her that because of the dedication and affection she and her friends showed, in those dark days, this is one patient who went on to have a good and successful life. At the age of 74 and after 7 years of incarceration in MH, she and her colleagues helped myself and many others, to survive. In fact, the girls must have influenced me in later life, because I married a nurse!! Many thanks Vera. Robin Watson ( MH 1941-1948)

Vera Duxbury - nee Clarke - remembers names of patients and nurses, and comments on visiting rules

I followed up Vera's contribution to ask her if she had any thoughts on visiting hours, something that all of us at Thorpe Arch during her time there had mentioned. She replied:
“I am sure I answer for all of us who worked at the Hospital then, we were greatly upset & disturbed for the children, & most certainly did not agree with the monthly visits, plus we the "front line” nurses, as you might say were the ones to comfort the children. In our defence I have to say our hands were tied, we didn’t have any say in any administration, we worked long hours, with very little money. Nursing was a vocation in those days, & the NHS did not come into being until (I think) 1945?”

Vera had also had time to dig out her old autograph book, from which she gives this list of names. How many of you recognise yourselves?
“The first was a little very poorly little boy, whom I remember quite clearly, his name John Waite, & he printed quite big & unruly, but he was quite young, another patient in large boys, Freddie, also large boys, I think about 15--16yrs, Harry & a Dennis. Doctor Jack Philips, -Sister Zoe Weddall. now nurses, along with "nick names” we gave to each other, we were not allowed to use Christian names in those days.
Nurses: Bulmer, Bully; Pendergast; Milburn, Milly; Speight, Speighty; Oubridge; Towey; Davidson, Dave; Holmes, Jaybus; Moakes, Smokey; Watson; Hibbard,Birdie; Cliffe,Kipps (in the photo); Moorehouse, (left in the photo); Smith, Smiffie; Jackson, Jackie; Dennis(not sure whether a Nurse or patient); Walls; Parkinson, Parky; Smith, Cockey, & last, my nickname was Nobbs.

Despite the war we were a reasonably jolly group, we respected our seniors, even though off duty we had to give up our seats by the fire when a senior came into the sitting room, though we were there first, & we loved our little charges & pray they all recovered.

Vera Duxbury (neé Clarke) shares vivid memories of nursing during World War II

I still have many memories(happy & sad)of my training days at Marguerite. As you know they were the war years, which I would to share with you (Jane) although you were a very young girl(5yrs?). You must have been on Girls' Ward, you would have been too old for the babies' ward.

No, I wouldn’t have been on the photo of the lesson on the veranda. I left in 1945, to do my General training. I do remember of course, how we used to wheel your beds out on to the verandas for school lessons. This photo is of myself & two other friends in our uniforms, taken I think in 1943--4, just outside the Nurses’ Home. I would have been 16--17 yrs. I am on the right, the one on the left is Nurse Moorhouse and the middle - Nurse Cliffe. This is the only memory ‘thing’ I have kept, and my certificate.

My first memory would be the day I started, on my 16th birthday in March 16th 1943. When I arrived I was shown to Matron Downs’s apartment, & then taken to the sewing room where I was fitted for my uniform dresses, caps & collars (I had to provide all my aprons myself, being war time) all 13!! I was then taken to my bedroom which was situated in the main building to start with (under Matrons eagle eye!).

I slept my first night accompanied by dozens of black clock beetles, I had lain on several which were dead, but there were more running around in my bed. I was appalled & disgusted. I can"t recall whether I complained to anyone, I was young & shy, but as I was moved to the nurses’ home the maid who cleaned the rooms must have reported her findings.

You probably wouldn’t know the layout of the other wards, so I will explain briefly. The main building was at the head of the fairly long tree-lined drive, which Matron’s window over-looked (Matron kept an eye on all comings & goings!). At the side & to the back of the main building was the Nurses’ Home (looking to the right standing at the road end). Also to the right was Boys’ Ward, "small boys",& "large boys". Also still looking to the right at the top end of Boys' Ward was Babies’ Ward.

Attached to the right of the main building was the "stoke hole" as we called it, then there were various out buildings large & small, where we would wheel the boys to stay on the night we had dances in their ward (Matron allowed this about once a month, as in war time there was little or no entertainment available). The boys used to love it, & would ask us to go to see them dressed in our long dresses. Airmen from surrounding air bases were invited, & sailors from the "dry" ship in Wetherby (so called because the Sailors & the Wrens trained simulating a ship on water)& of course our own friends.

Night duty was rather frightening when we were either on duty on Girls’ Ward or Babies, as only one nurse was on duty there. Girls’ ward was situated in the main building, as were the kitchens, nurses’ & sisters’ dining rooms, X-ray, treatment rooms, & operating theatre.

One or other of the nurses on Boys’ Ward would have to go to the stoke hole, to stoke the boiler, & to operate the autoclave to sterilize the dressings for the following day. This was a nightmare. The autoclave had to reach 20lb a square inch, & if it went over it would blow off steam, and the first time I did it, it did. I just flew out of the stoke hole absolutely petrified!

Staying with the Boys’ Ward, I was on night duty with I think Nurse Parkinson, "Parky". The night started fairly quiet, though the planes were passing overhead, going out on bombing raids. Boys’ Ward was quite long, there must have been at least 16-18 small boys at the top end & about the same number of large boys, up to the age of 16yrs. The sluices, toilets & treatment rooms were at that end of the ward.

All the boys were in frames or plaster casts, there were no "up" patients. On this particular night, very dark, with only a very dim light because of blackout restrictions, all windows were covered with blackout blinds or curtains. Suddenly, one of the toilets at the far end was flushed. As it was so quiet, all the boys asleep, it sounded so very loud, we were so afraid for there seemed no explanation. We didn't go down the ward to investigate, so it always remained a mystery whilst we both were at the Marguerite.

Many years later about the late 1980s, my friend Dorothy Cliffe (the Nurse in the middle of the photo) & our Husbands went for a visit to the Marguerite, just to renew old memories. We were given permission to wander round all wards (the Hospital was then a home for the elderly)& we went to visit Boys’ Ward. Little had altered, just extra toilets had been added by breaking through a side wall. We spoke to some of the nurses & were told they all thought the ward was haunted. Apparently there were many unexplained incidents, so we told them our own story! We shall never know now, but….

One more memory. The Nurses at Marguerite had to do a stint on each Ward throughout the two year course of Orthopaedic training, it was a good training & I grew up quickly. As I explained previously, Girls’ Ward was situated in the main building. A long corridor ran straight from the imposing front door to a door at the rear of the building.

The Sisters’ dining room & the Nurses’ dining room, plus doors through to the kitchens, were to the right of the corridor, & the door to the Girls’ Ward to the left. There was a small ante room off this corridor, where once a week (I think on a Sunday morning) we Nurses queued up with our two jam jars & Matron would give us our rations of butter & margarine in one jar & sugar in the other (so much was kept by the cook for his baking). As you can imagine we ended up with small amounts to last us for a week! Most of us had used up our portions by about Wednesday! so when we had either a jam or a lemon curd tart for tea, we would scrape off the jam or curd, & make a sandwich, & then make another sandwich with the pastry case. We were so hungry in those days. The bread was a horrid colour but quite tasty.

When on night duty on Girls’ Ward we had go into the kitchens & put the heat on under the huge vats of porridge, at about 5am ready for breakfasts, & as soon as we put the lights on, the horrid black clock beetles would scatter away under cupboards etc.

Val Dodsworth (nee Brown) talks of her nurse training in 1970-1

Hi there I am an ex nurse from Marquerite Hepton I was there in 1970-1 as a pupil nurse before moving on to Pinderfields to complete my training . It was a wonderful place and I learnt a lot. I loved the children with there many complex illnesses. We had a lot of spina bifida children who came for regular holidays as well as muscular dystrophy and Frederiks ataxia. I remember these children so well and know that they will no longer be with us. I could name at least 6 and one little one in particular Stevie who was moved away to Doncaster soon after I left.

I remember Sister Everett and Gerry Appleyard who was my tutor and a good one at that. I also remember matron who I saw had died recently. My year had Gillian Evans and Jane Halford in who were very good friends of mine but I have lost contact with both of them. Also there were Julie Swindells, Alison Lobley, Shelia Wensley, Carole Bennett and Anne Wilson. Nurses from Huddersfield also came for a few months amongst these were Geoff Smith, Gill Crossland, Joan Hinchcliffe and also Ann Hinchcliffe.

Please contact us using our email address if you want to renew acquaintance with Val or if you want to add your experiences of MHH

Gabrielle Childe (nee Greenwood) shares her "Campaign to keep MHH Open" document

The Campaign to keep the Marguerite Hepton Orthopaedic Hospital Open

The photos and text printed here are from the original album compiled by Gabrielle Childe with the help of trade unionists Mike Harwood and Stuart Roden taken to The Ministry of Health in 1984

THE TRADE UNIONS OPPOSE THE TRANSFER OF ORTHOPAEDIC PATIENTS AT THE PRESENT TIME FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS.

a) That it takes no account of the effect on services to Leeds Western Health Authority patients.

b) That it makes less likely the rationalisation of orthopaedic services on an area wide basis, particularly the establishment on an elective orthopaedic unit, which the Trade Unions would see as an ideal option.

THE TRADE UNIONS OPPOSE THE CLOSURE AND SUBSEQUENT DISPOSAL OF THE SITE FOR THE FOLLOWING GROUNDS;

a) That it is against the policy of the present government as outlined in the booklet ‘Care in Action’.

b) That it is against the best interests of the people in Leeds to dispose of health care facilities, when there is an acknowledged shortage of health service beds and increasing waiting lists.

THE TRADE UNIONS ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IF AN ELECTIVE ORTHOPAEDIC UNIT IS ESTABLISHED ON AN AREA BASIS, IT MAY BE AT SOME POINT IN TIME BE NECESSARY TO MOVE ORTHOPAEDIC PATIENTS FROM THE MARGUERITE HEPTON TO ANOTHER SITE IN THE LEEDS AREA. IN THAT EVENT WE PROPOSE THE FOLLOWING USES FOR THE HOSPITAL AND POSSIBLE SUGGESTIONS ON FINANCE;

a) That finance for the hospital could be achieved through a combination of existing monies and joint financing with the Local Authority.

b) That the hospital be used for ‘community purposes’. This to cover a wide range of services including the continuation of outpatient facilities.

c) That the Marguerite Hepton Hospital could be used for psycho – geriatric or geriatric services.

d) That the hospital could be used for convalescent purposes. These would be available on a district or city wide basis.

THE DRIVE, CAR PARK AND RECREATION ROOMS

THE EXISTING STOCK OF HEALTH SERVICE BUILDINGS IS A NATIONAL RESOURCE WHICH SHOULD BE KEPT IN GOOD CONDITION AND ADAPTED TO PRESENT DAY NEEDS.

WARD 2

THE ADMINISTRATION UNIT

THE EXISTING STOCK OF HEALTH SERVICE BUILDINGS IS A NATIONAL RESOURCE WHICH SHOULD BE KEPT IN GOOD CONDITION AND ADAPTED TO PRESENT DAY NEEDS.

EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT THE USEFUL LIFE OF MANY OLD BUILDINGS CAN BE LENGTHENED BY UPGRADING AND EXTENSION.

THE GOVERNMENT FAVOURS SMALL LOCAL HOSPITALS SUPPORTING THE LARGE DISTRICT HOSPITALS.

NURSES HOME AND MAIN BLOCK

IT IS MISLEADING TO REFER TO THE “ALTERNATIVE USE” OF THE MARGUERITE HEPTON HOSPITAL AS A COMMUNITY HOSPITAL. IT IS ALREADY IN PART FUNCTIONING AS A COMMUNITY HOSPITAL. IT PROVIDES PHYSIOTHERAPY, HYDROTHERAPY AND X – RAY SERVICES TO THE LOCAL COMMUNITY. THOUGHT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO WHAT IS ALREADY THERE UNTIL IT CAN BE FURTHER DEVELOPED.

a) Consulting rooms

b) Central office

c) Nurse’s Home

d) Operating Theatre

e) X – ray department (plus modern dark room)

f) Physiotherapy Department ( including hydrotherapy pool )

g) Three wards ( with doors directly outside to the gardens)

h) Occupational Therapy Department.

i) Dining and Canteen facilities

j) Modern Hospital Kitchen

k) Four semi detached houses

l) 24 acres of agricultural land

m) Daily visit by local GP and twenty four hours ‘on call’ duty cover

n) N Weekly visit by two consultants.

There can be no uniform pattern for a community hospital. Each must be designed to the needs of the locality; there might be an emphasis on geriatric care and rehabilitation but no need for a minor casualty unit. Alternatively, a market town might need ‘intermediate ‘casualty and minor surgical facilities.

WARD 2 AND 3 PATIO AND GARDEN

The Marguerite Hepton Hospital is well maintained and is one of the most economically run hospitals in the Leeds Eastern District.

PHYSIOTHERAPY AND HYDROTHERAPY UNIT

RECENTLY BUILT BOILER HOUSE

“EVERY DISTRICT SHOULD PROVIDE ENOUGH SUITABLE ACCOMMODATION FOR THE CARE OF THE ELDERLY PEOPLE ESPECIALLY THE MOST VULNERABLE AND FRAIL.”

The number of people over seventy – five is increasing and those who need care have often been provided with unacceptably low standards of service, particularly in some aspects of long term care.

Health Authorities must make long term plans for health care in their district, with particular emphasis placed on care of the elderly. Whilst it is preferable to provide new purpose built accommodation for health care, the government recommend that existing health buildings be adapted to present day needs.

The Marguerite Hepton Orthopaedic Hospital is already partly serving the community and would need very little adaptation for use of the wards by Social Services.

THE MARGUERITE HEPTON HOSPITAL AS A PRE – CONVALESCENT AND/OR CONVALESCENT HOSPITAL

The object of convalescence is to provide a suitable environment in which the remedy effected by acute medicine and surgery can me completed and a transfer back to independence in the community assisted. This is an essential separate function of the health service which should be preserved.

The best place to convalesce is obviously at home, however, this can only be so if there is a satisfactory home environment in terms of comfort, physical facilities and supportive care. At the present time there are patients who are discharged prematurely due to the urgent need for an acute bed and before the medical social workers have investigated their home circumstances thoroughly. These investigations can take several weeks to complete, particularly with regard to the elderly, who often need a great deal of supportive care. This results in a patient being in an acute bed which would otherwise would have been used to reduce the waiting list for surgery.

It often takes several weeks to discharge a patient home from an acute ward because of circumstances, particularly where the severely disabled and the elderly are concerned.

Unhappily, there are some patients who cannot return home and have to wait for vacancies to occur, e.g. Part III accommodation or disabled person’s home.

The Marguerite Hepton Hospital could be ideally used for this purpose and on a more economical basis that a large technology hospital.

WARD 1 PATIO AND GARDEN

The Leeds Eastern Community Health Council stated at a Public Meeting that not only did they oppose the closure of The Marguerite Hepton Hospital but they felt that at an appropriate time when resources were made available the hospital should expand the services it already provides.

According to D.H.S.S. guidelines the district is already 30 beds short of its norm. If the Marguerite Hepton Hospital should close that would make a total of 77 beds as a shortfall for orthopaedics.

So far as ordinary x – rays are concerned it should be recognised that many patients are compelled to travel for long distances for an examination that could be easily and economically; for those and the state to be treated locally.

OUTDOOR RECREATION AREA

THE CHAPEL

The Marguerite Hepton Hospital has always had excellent local voluntary support. It has not only provided the hospital with comforts for the patients, but the local people have been willing to visit patients.

PHYSIOTHERAPY DEPARTMENT

HYDROTHERAPY UNIT

WAITING LISTS

LEEDS WESTERN HEALTH AUTHORITY

The percentage of elective orthopaedic cases represents only 15% of total cases. The current waiting list, gained from the authorities own documents is 476 patients. (Effectively a seven year waiting list)

“We repeat that there are patients on this large waiting list who have waited seven years and anyone with a non – urgent remedial condition would face the likelihood of a delay of this order”. In agreement were;

E. B.Longton F.R.C.S F.F.Silk F.R.C.S

M.A.Nelson F.R.C.S M.J.Abberton F.R.C.S

LEEDS EASTERN HEALTH AUTHORITY

In the Eastern Health Authority the position regarding waiting lists is even worse. The figures obtained from the authority as at 31^st October 1983 are 701 patients on the waiting list and 115 on the day ward list. That represents a total waiting list across the city of approximately 1300 patients in need of orthopaedic surgery.

1982 Pay and Prices

Cost per patient per day

St James University Hospital……………………………………….£67.31p

Marguerite Hepton Hospital……………………………………… £4o.98p

These figures were the latest available from the Leeds Eastern Health Authority on 12.6.84

HOSPITAL AND ARABLE LAND OWNED BY NHS

This land is held by a farmer under a tenancy protected under the Agricultural Holdings Act 1948. It has been farmed by his family for over 30 years and he has no intention of willingly giving up possession. Apart from bad husbandry by the farmer, the only grounds on which he could be compulsorily be deprived of his tenancy would be id there was planning permission for development. Development of the land is not likely to be allowed. The Wetherby District Plan states:

“It is considered that this area of land should remain as open countryside in predominantly agricultural use and that development should normally be restricted to that appropriate to a rural area. As no expansion of Walton (adjacent village) into the countryside can be justified at present, the boundary to the rural land has been drawn closely round the village”.

NB
The Marguerite Hepton Hospital closed in September 1985 following a hard fought battle. It became a nursing home for a comparatively short time before it was completely demolished to make way for a housing development.

Not even a memorial plaque to say it was there. Thankfully the trees on the drive remain, which enables me to say to my grandchildren “ See that third tree on the left? That is where the granddad you never met asked me to marry him.” The buildings may have been taken away but memories linger on.