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A visit to the Doctor.

I remember as a little girl going to a doctors in Ashted Row although we lived in Washwood Heath/Saltley. I was born in that area and many family members still lived there. The doctor that we saw in the "go and wait your turn" system,which worked, was Dr Hazel Topping and her dispenser that mixed "potions" was a woman called Ivy. I was fascinated by all the large coloured jars that she took measured liquid from to make up the appropriate medicine. Dr. Topping was my doctor for years but sadly I was told that she did commit suicide. What a great loss she was.
 
Those were the days when many doctors and pharmacies made their own medicinal products - not so much pre-packaged stuff then.
My last job, before moving to Devon in 1954, was with a large pharmaceutical company in Birmingham. I was 'learning the trade' so as to speak and was given some quite responsible tasks despite my age. I prepared and packaged items ordered by doctors and pharmacies. I found the work highly interesting and rewarding and was very sad to have to leave when we moved away. There were no similar opportunities in Devon so I had to seek work in other spheres. However those were the days of National Service so I opted for a short career with the RAF.
 
Dancing Queen, we had a Doctor Topping, but male in the 1950's his surgery was in Park Road Aston, he was near retirement then, unusual name, makes me suspect they where related. He lived in Wylde Green c/o Chester Rd/Birmingham Rd Eric
 
This thread opens up lots of possibilities. Our GP when I was young was Dr Ezzat. His practice was a fairly large but poorly adapted house on the corner of Court Oak Road and Tennal Lane. There were no appointments and you would simply take the next available chair and wait your turn. Good job we were trained to queue from birth! The waiting room must have once been a sitting room or perhaps dining room. The chairs were a random mix of wooden dining chairs, but none of them was particularly comfortable. As the buzzer went (I think it was a buzzer) for the next patient, we would all move along one chair. I can picture the room very clearly even now. There was nothing warm or inviting or interesting about it. When you were called through, you would walk along a short corridor and knock on the door of the consulting room, already slightly high on the whiff of antiseptic. Dr Ezzat was a large, fairly genial Egyptian who knew all of my family and was prone to give advice on a range of things, whether you wanted it or not. My clearest recollection of him is when he treated me for a severe gash to my knee caused by newly pruned and dagger-like privet hedge at my Grand-dads house. I still have the scar, but I did not develop an infection.
 
Yes, it was great not to have to make an appointment and possibly wait a week or more, just sit down and wait your turn, our Doctor (Freshwater and Morgan, forget who was first) had a large white Georgian house next door to Aston Church, king sized waiting room, comfy chairs and the usual magazines, sadly no longer there. This was in the 50's seemed much less pressure on the NHS in those days, probably because a smaller population. eric
 
Where we are now in North Devon we are very lucky with our choice of Doctor. However one post in this series brought back memories. Our doctor was Doctor Silk who had a sugery in his house on the corner of Chester Road and Antrobus Road. Once in his smoke filled consulting room it was Hello George to my father, Good Morning Mrs Davis, How are we all today? Then out came a packet of Senior Service, cigarette George? They lit up there were a few more pleasantries and then...who's got a problem today and diagnosis and cure, usually that horrible orange medicine and a bottle of the rose pink sweet tonic and come back in a week if it is not cured. Now it is via the receptionist and a nurse. Had my annual blood test and hypertension check yesterday. She called me perky and was surprised that I still worked and was heading to the gym afterwards. She was also surprised that I was using no aids or taking no pain killers for my leg broken last year, any problems she said. Yes I replied I was able to do a mile in fifteen minutes on the treadmill before the accident now the best I can manage is .62 in the same time. What can I do to speed it up? Just found out the guy who knocked me down and admitted liability...sorry mate I did not see you, let me help you up....was not insured, he thought his partner had dealt with the insurance.....tonight I did .83 in fifteen minutes if he asks for money for the fingerprints on his bonnet I might make a mile plus in 10 minutes

Bob
 
The horrible orange medicine was possibly Gees Linctus which was for coughs. The rose pin tonic again most likely Parishs Chemical Food. Both tasted awful but had to be taken - or else!
Some childhood things were great - Virol/Cod Liver Oil & Malt (which I still take), Scotts Emulsion (for eyes and brain). I was too old when the Ministry of Food concentrated orange juice was available, I believe it was for under fives.
 
Aston Hall Rd & Witton Lane.jpg Aston Hall Rd & Witton Lane (2).jpg hi eric is this your old doctors house..hard to believe that such a splendid building was demolished..
 
Hello Lyn, Yes that was my Doctors house of the 50's, lovely old Georgian building, why demolish such a picturesque building !!!. The 2nd pic shows the old Vicarage wall on the right another old building needlessly demolished, spent many happy visits there to various church and non-church functions. Happy days. downloaded pic 2, can see a painting there !! Eric
 
yes eric it is sad but what a splendid painting you have done....i love it

lyn
 
This thread opens up lots of possibilities. Our GP when I was young was Dr Ezzat. His practice was a fairly large but poorly adapted house on the corner of Court Oak Road and Tennal Lane. There were no appointments and you would simply take the next available chair and wait your turn. Good job we were trained to queue from birth! The waiting room must have once been a sitting room or perhaps dining room. The chairs were a random mix of wooden dining chairs, but none of them was particularly comfortable. As the buzzer went (I think it was a buzzer) for the next patient, we would all move along one chair. I can picture the room very clearly even now. There was nothing warm or inviting or interesting about it. When you were called through, you would walk along a short corridor and knock on the door of the consulting room, already slightly high on the whiff of antiseptic. Dr Ezzat was a large, fairly genial Egyptian who knew all of my family and was prone to give advice on a range of things, whether you wanted it or not. My clearest recollection of him is when he treated me for a severe gash to my knee caused by newly pruned and dagger-like privet hedge at my Grand-dads house. I still have the scar, but I did not develop an infection.
Yea. As a youngster I remember Dr Ezzat's and all the shuffling along the chairs. He was our main doctor from the early 1960s when we lived on the Moor Pool Estate and after we moved to Highfield Lane up at Quinton. I liked him and he actually seemed genuinely interested. I remember his kindly face with head tilted to one side as he meticulously checked our chest with his stethoscope and looked at our tongue ......whatever ailment we had. I wonder what his story was. My guess is that he came back with the 8th Army after the war.
 
When a lad in Weoley Castle, our Doctor was , Dr Judge, Castle Square, a big Irish man, and a genuine bloke, I worked at the Butchers on a Sat Morning and cut my thumb, quite badly, and went straight over to the Surgery, when he opened the door , he frowned, come in son, took me through to the office, lets have a look here , yes stitches I'm afraid, he cleaned and stitched the wound. he finished and said, did a lot of this in the Desert war, you were very brave, its ok now, and I went back to work all in about an hour, I was about 12/13 at the time, how different to today.
 
When a lad in Weoley Castle, our Doctor was , Dr Judge, Castle Square, a big Irish man, and a genuine bloke, I worked at the Butchers on a Sat Morning and cut my thumb, quite badly, and went straight over to the Surgery, when he opened the door , he frowned, come in son, took me through to the office, lets have a look here , yes stitches I'm afraid, he cleaned and stitched the wound. he finished and said, did a lot of this in the Desert war, you were very brave, its ok now, and I went back to work all in about an hour, I was about 12/13 at the time, how different to today.
I run a FB group about the history of Weoley Castle. Would you mind if I shared this? I would do it as a screen shot.
 
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