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St Gerards Hospital, Coleshill

Hiya,

I had a number of spells in St Gerards during the 50's & 60's, not the greatest of memories from what I recall. If it hadnt have been for some of the kind staff there it would have been much worse. Three names that I can remember are Sister Lazerian, nurse Bratia and Mr Innis, not sure about the spellings.

Hope this helps.

Kind regards have a good Christmas.

DSK










Is there anyone out there who was a patient or was connected with the hospital in the late 50s or early 60s?
 
Hi Ingrid,

I spent a long time at St Gerards, cannot remember exactly how long, I may have been about 8 as I remember my 10th Birthday there and was discharged just before my 11th birthday, also I remember that the TV was on nearly all day for the coronation of Elizabeth II that was shown from Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953.

The large doors onto the veranda were nearly always open only being closed in REALLY bad weather. Having been in plaster of paris for all the time I was there and confined to bed, I was eventually allowed out of bed, the plaster being taken off, the leg had withered and no movement in the knee, so I was fitted with a caliper, this gave me the freedom of walking in the grounds, where a small area was set out very nicely and a large statue was at the end.

The only person I can remember is a Sister Christina a rather large lady, my consultant was Mr Innes.

Kind regards.

Bob
 
Hi All,
Sadly St Gerards closed down about 13 years ago and the buildings are going to rack and ruin with some of the garden ornaments missing too. I worked there for a few years but in the 90's, some of my friends worked there before me though.
Sue
 
It is looking really awful isn't it Sue.
My husband was saying yesterday ,when we passed, that before long there will probably be retirement apartments there before long.They seem to be building
quite a few in Coleshill lately.
 
Is there anyone out there who was a patient or was connected with the hospital in the late 50s or early 60s?
I was a patient at the hospital in 1982 at the age of 13 years old,I was under Mr Piggot and had stapling of the left femur as I was born with one leg longer than the other!
I was a patient for 2 weeks and after my operation I had the best time ever as there was only myself and another teenage boy from coleshill (Steven Baker) and the 82 Espana world cup was on and the nurses allowed us to stay up to watch the games!!
I seem to recall a nurse Kerr?
They used to wheel me over to the physio dept most mornings until I could raise my leg off the bed to be discharged for a family wedding.
I have browsed a few photos of the hospital today and have seen the bath that I had to have a salt bath in on the morning of the operation,that was a blast from the past .
It was a great hospital and all of the nurses were superb,the nuns were a little more strict!!
 
Stuart, that name rings a bell, will e-mail my friend who worked there around that time and ask her, will post if I get any info.
Sue
 
i was a patient at st gerards.
i remember mr piggot he was great.nuns were more than strict!! the last time i was there was mid sixties, i wish i could remember the exact year.i had my photo taken with millicent martin the actress she came to visit.
i have been trying to get a copy from the mail but without the year it's impossible, could ayone help please.deb
 
Deb general consensus is 1966 or 67, may give you a better chance to find something. If my friends come up with more will post for you
Sue
 
thanks for the reply sue.
i get confused with the dates because i was in and out from the age of two which was 1962.
deb.
 
It hadn't changed much over the years I'm told,some of the wards had closed by the time I started in 1991,and when it finally closed there was only Hudson ward open full time.The pond was still there and had fish in it as well as the large statue.
Although I was only there for 5 years it holds lots of fond memories for me and the staff still have reunions as most of us stayed in touch when it closed. If you remember the nuns, Sister Beatrice is in Dawlish and Sister Maria, the physio, is at Selly Park convent, so close to home still.
Sue
 
hi, I went to St Gerrards duing the early sixties, it wasn't a pleasant time, I was age 5 when I went in and escaped when I was age 8, I had a condition called Perthes disease [soft hip bone] I had both legs in plaster and a bar across them so I was confined to my bed. I remember many arguements between my parents and the Nuns, my mom says it was because we weren't catholic, all I remember is that they were very unpleasant, very strict and shouted alot.
They said one Christmas that I had to many presents and removed them from me and gave them to other children without telling my parents, I remember that arguement!!!
I was also told that if I misbehaved the Virgin Mary would find out, it scared me to bits, I carried with me this vision of the Virgin Mary by the pond at the Hospital with a willow shading her for many years. By chance I happened to drive pass the place last year and had flash backs about the place, I parked up and wondered around the back of the hospital and came across the statue by the pond and it was of Jesus? not the Virgin Mary. I had to smile to myself because I am a born again Christian and it was because I had a Vision of Jesus many years later, and there he was by the pond.
I don't remember many names, only one boy who had a TV fall on him, and one nun/sister called Iris or Avis who was told off for the the way she spoke to my mother.
Even though I remember the bad times more their were good and some happy memories, the entertainers who came over Christmas, the garden fate, and the visits once a week from my family.
steve
ps the only photo i have of me at the hospital
 

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Steve, I remember the garden fetes too, My great aunts were devout catholics and used to knit endlessly for the fete and we used to go each summer. The nuns used to frighten me then and I still held them in great respect when I went back to work there, with 2 children of my own!
Sue
 
hi steve.
i was in and out from 1962 onwards.i remember one xmas the nuns had taken us to santas grotto at lewises and when we got back they realised i had chicken pox so we had to be quarantined.i have chronic osteomyelitis of left femur and i was
in traction a lot of the time but the nuns still dragged me to church on a sunday.another time i fell out of bed i could hardley
move but they made me drag myself back into bed they were darlings lol.
on the brighter side i remember the fetes and other treats.i know it's not pc now but one time the black and white minstrels came but they didn't have time for their make up so had to come as themselves lol.
 
hi deb and sue
thank you for your reply, I also remember the black and white minstrels or a panto I remember my dad telling me who they were, I also remember seeing Bambi. The television was on all the time and we the one's confined to bed use to able to move our beds nearer to the TV which use to cause problems.
In my first post above I said the sister/nun name was Iris or Avis but I'm beginning to think it was sister Rhea or something similar.
Do you know whether its possible to enter the building and have a good look around, and whether there is any records on the place?
steve
 
hi steve.
i dont know if there is a way in,i passed by there last year and asked a workman if i could look around but he said no one was allowed,but i plan to try again.i have also been trying to find out how to get my hospital records but no luck so far.deb
 
Steve and Deb, you would have to arrange it through the Father Hudson Society, their head offices are on the same site and I am trying to remember the name of the man you need to contact can only remember his first name is Kevin, but am seeing a friend who will know his surnmae too, so will post it for you. If you do manage to go, I would love to come with you, I missed my last chance when my friends were there loading things for the Lourdes pilgrimage in May.
Sue
 
hi Sue
thank you for your reply I would love to go for a visit and it would be great to see you and Deb there,
Awaiting your reply
Steve
 
thanks for reply sue.
i would like to see whats happened to the old place.and it would be nice to meet
up.
deb.
 
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