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St Margarets Hospital - Great Barr

Hi, I came across this site when I was just browsing looking for old photos of St Margarets Hospital to show my children. Find it really interesting as I nursed at St Margarets from 1977 to 1985. I remember my first time of going there as a newly qualified nursery nurse and being interviewed in the room below the clock tower. I was absolutely petrified..........it turned out to be the most rewarding job I have ever had. It actually was a town of its own, everything you needed was on site. Most of the staff there were very commited to their posts and had the clients best interests at heart and did there best in difficult circumstances. I worked on various wards on the male side and the female side but mostly on Chase and Derby ward which were the childrens units. Also in the newly built school. The story about the murder of the lady by the gardener was true, I actually worked with Joseph Birch (Jo), of course by then he was a very frail elderly gentleman. Also a young lad from Chase ward did manage to get out through a window during the night and drowned in the lake on site. Things were very different then, health and safety weren't the big issues they are now. I often go back to visit my dad who lives in Great Barr, as I live in wales now and always have a drive up the main entrance. Its very hard to imagine it now as it was then. So many stories could be told, I could go on and on. Just makes me wonder where all the poor souls are now. Would be lovely to be in touch with other people who worked there, as I'm sure they will agree it was the sort of place that had a huge impact on your life.
Hi Faenol,After reading your post the other day it seemed to ring a bell,you mentioned the chase and derby wards,My sister spent her life at St Margarets 1967 until it closed down,i fondly remember playing with the children when myself and my parents went to visit weekly,I remember door handles being at the top of the doors to stop the children opening them,i remember one little lass who had really long arms who was a little trooper at opening the doors and going walkabout,People say it was a scary place but all i have is fond memories,my sister Tracey was mentally and physically handicapped but she did so many things whilst there,she did painting and different classes,i also remember my mom saying Tracey had been doing horse riding,Just like to say thank you for being one of the staff who brightened up patients lives,I'd like to think that Tracey enjoyed herself whilst at St Margarets,she was certainly well looked after.
 
Apologies I have only just joined the site and saw your posting. I think I may have worked with Kevin during the mid to late 70's. I think the homes were cartwright, veasey and one other i cant recall the name of
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Thankyou Paul, I have a sister Dora certificate which was my dads. I know he worked with Pete Marshall, Ken Beebee and Tom Quinn, Other than that not much. My stepmom Helen said the patientsused to throw the pool balls at the staff but I’m not sure if she was joking
 
I have been wanting to add to this thread for a while now. My aunty Sheila rlived here from when she was 7 in the mid 1940s, until it closed. She is over 80 now and has many fond memories of being here. She loved the sewing and clay modelling club and participated in sports events, which she said were held at The Stadium (not sure which one). She still has all of the certificates she won. When she left she was given a flat to share with her good friend who she had met at Great Barr. It is sad that I wasn't really aware of her or her life until recently and now with lockdowns etc we haven’t been able to get together to talk about her life properly. She did mention that she still gets Christmas cards from one of her teachers. Perhaps there might be other staff members on here that remember her and maybe when all of this virus is behind us we could organise a little reunion for them
 
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I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions,My Sister was Tracey Jane Rowe,Tracey passed away in 2006,Tracey spent majority of her life in St Margarets until she was moved to Springside in Pelsall,
I only have memories of my Sister,no photographs,as far as i'm aware Tracey spent her life on Chase and Derby ward,
Unfortunately now St Margarets and Springside have both closed i have no idea who to get in touch with in regards to finding photographic evidence of my Sister,Needle in a haystack springs to mind,Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.Thanks,Pete.
 
Not sure if you'll get anything concrete but nationalarchives.gov.uk might be a good place to start for information? If nothing else it may open other avenues to explore.
 
I have been researching family history and found an uncle who was basically cut off from the family. He was a pilot in the RAF and shot down during the war and I guess by todays standards had PTSD. He was put in St Margarets where he stayed until it closed and then went into a shared flat somewhere local to St Margarets. His name was William Frank Palser, known as Frank. My dad was the only family who visited him. As dad died 22 years ago I dont know what happened to Frank, Dad said he was a gentle kind man. Long shot, does anyone know where he might have been moved to?
 
hi sandyk that is quite a sad story really not the help then for PTSD as we have today...hope someone can help you..i take it that william has also passed away?

lyn
 
hi sandyk that is quite a sad story really not the help then for PTSD as we have today...hope someone can help you..i take it that william has also passed away?

lyn
Yes he died about 10 years ago, but I can’t find any death records either
 
jan that could be sandys fathers death...she cant find one for his uncle william frank palser about 10 years ago ...i will have a look later unless you can find it
 
The references are from the GRO if you want to risk buying the death cert. However, a phone call or email to Yardley might help first. I did look for St Margaret's records and those that exist are at Walsall Records office but are subject to 100 year closure.
 
I was at St Margaret's School in the 1976 (70-76 I think) and was very aware of the hospital. My best friend's stepdad was a psychiatrist there, his name was Tom Couston. He sadly died while I was still at school. There were two modern houses at the start of the drive way to the hospital, next to the church. My friend Nick and his family lived in one of them. I was a frequent visitor to the house and I remember on one occasion we were allowed to ride into the hospital on our bikes. Sad to say my memory isn't very clear, but I do remember the feeling of surprise at the expanse of the place and it being so green. I also think I remember being chased on our bikes by a male patient, who Nick knew to be harmless, but being frightened none the less.

A lot of what's been said on this site chimes with me. The hospital was definitely a source of fear and intrigue to us at school. As a child I didn't reflect on the lives of the patients but as an adult I very much have. I've been researching my family tree recently and have discovered I had a Great Aunt at the hospital. Her name was Edith Gladys Moore and she is recorded as living there in the 1939 survey. Like all the patients listed, in the 'occupation column' there are the words 'mentally defective'.

This discovery confirmed a longstanding family story about my paternal Grandfather having a sister at the hospital. He was estranged from his family and never talked about them to anyone. Through my research I have found that he was the youngest of four children, which was news to my own father, his son. We have never known the reason for this estrangement, although there was some speculation it was down to my Grandmother, who forbade him from seeing them as they 'lived in a slum'.

The story hinged on two things. First, my Dad's brother bought my Grandparents' house from them in I think the 1950s. One day a letter arrived for Mr B Moore. It was opened in error as it was thought to be for my Uncle. In fact it was for my Grandfather, whose name was William but was known as Bill. It seemed to be from a child on the basis of the handwriting and content, but apparently it was clear it was from my Grandfather's sister.

The second part of the story is that my Grandad picked up my Mum and Dad in his car one day as their motorbike had broken down. He was wearing a black tie and was very evasive when my Dad jokingly asked if he'd been to a funeral. The assumption has always been that it was his sister's funeral but I have now found that his Mother died in 1961, which fits with the time. So it could have been either.

It's made me very sad to find out about Edith Gladys. Especially as it's quite possible she was still there when I was at school. And she almost certainly was there when my Dad was at the same school in the 1940s. Sad also to find that her sister Lily looks to have died in 1918 at the age of 19, and her brother Charles Wilfred in 1929 aged 28. I know absolutely nothing about Edith Gladys and am wondering whether there's any way I can find out more. I think her records will be subject to 100 year disclosure.

Thanks and apologies for the relatively long post!
 
This is very much a long shot. I'm trying to find information about my Father who told me he used to work as a Hospital Porter at St Margaret's Hospital just after the 2WW but I can find no trace of him there in any of the paperwork I have here. His life is a bit of a mystery between 1940 - 1945 when he would have been in his early teens. He did live very locally so if anyone remembers a Stanley Whale working there or where I can find hospital records I'd love to know.
 
I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions,My Sister was Tracey Jane Rowe,Tracey passed away in 2006,Tracey spent majority of her life in St Margarets until she was moved to Springside in Pelsall,
I only have memories of my Sister,no photographs,as far as i'm aware Tracey spent her life on Chase and Derby ward,
Unfortunately now St Margarets and Springside have both closed i have no idea who to get in touch with in regards to finding photographic evidence of my Sister,Needle in a haystack springs to mind,Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.Thanks,Pete.
Hi I worked on Chase home and nursed your sister Tracy ,I loved my time at St Margarets where I worked for many years I was 17 when I started working there.We would take them on holiday and I have photographs of Tracy from my time at St MARGARETS and when on holiday.
 
I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions,My Sister was Tracey Jane Rowe,Tracey passed away in 2006,Tracey spent majority of her life in St Margarets until she was moved to Springside in Pelsall,
I only have memories of my Sister,no photographs,as far as i'm aware Tracey spent her life on Chase and Derby ward,
Unfortunately now St Margarets and Springside have both closed i have no idea who to get in touch with in regards to finding photographic evidence of my Sister,Needle in a haystack springs to mind,Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.Thanks,Pete.
Hi I don't know if you got message nursed your sister and have photographs of her at St Margarets and on holiday.i worked at St Margarets from age 17 for 14 years loved it.hope you get this and I can give you photos of Tracy.
 
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