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Forelands Hospital Bromsgrove

  • Thread starter Thread starter eastwood46
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eastwood46

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anyone with any info on this hospital,photo or history on it woulde be much appreciated.:)
 
Is this the Hospital that was at Rock Hill, Bromsgrove? If so I think it was a convalescent home for children in the twenties. Later it possibly took adults. Sadly I think it was knocked down and a housing estate built on the site.
Polly
 
My grandfather went to Forelands early in the 1900s to work as Sir John Middlemore's groom and lived in the Lodge. When Sir John died in the 1920s I think Forlands was sold and became something to do with Birmingham childrens hospital and my grandfather became head gardener until he retired in about 1946. I vaguely remember parents visiting their children at weekends. This would have been in the war years.
 
What a good 6months that was.I was convalesing from a Spinal Fusion Operation in 1957,May-Aug.Surgon Mr Allen.Night Sister George,Nurse Glenis Morris,Nurse Timms[16"waist?] fellow patient Richard Stonehouse.Always enjoyed Archery whilst lying on my Plaster cast. Colin shorey.
 
Dad Forelands.jpg

My Father, Kenneth Walter Haden was a patient at the Forelands during the 1920's, and would have been 7-10 years of age, during his stay . He had Osteomyelitis , which was a disease attacking the marrow of his bones in both legs. Relief was given by drilling the bones to release the pressure, he underwent over 100 operations of this type, often without anaesthetic. Few survived this disease.
Almost certainly he was at the Forelands during periods of remission and would be returned to the main hospital for treatment when the disease flared up again.
The Forelands was not highly rated by him, his mother (his father had passed away) was allowed to visit once a month on a Sunday afternoon. Any food she bought disappeared especially cakes.
The food was dreadful, mainly bread and dripping, they never saw eggs, little meat, cakes or the like. Punishment was a dunces cap and the wearing of a smock, one of which was, I believe red.
In the summer the beds were often pushed outside. Father and three friends decided that they had had enough of the food and conditions and planned an escape. They left in the dark one night and crossed various fields, finally arriving on the main Bromsgrove /Worcester road just outside the town centre of Bromsgrove. They were stopped by a Policeman on a little bridge on that road and returned to the "Home". They were bought before the Governing Body and explained the reasons for their actions. No punishments were given and the first fried egg was served to all the next Sunday.
The food improved greatly following the "rebellion". He met Mother at the Woodlands Hospital where she was a nurse.
Father was saved by penicillin, which was first given/used, on him, in 1946/47 at Dudley Road Hospital. However, he was disabled with no right hip or knee joints and that leg was 6" shorter than the left leg. He drove a normal car with minor modifications, played league table tennis in Birmingham and often managed to paddle a double kayak, with me , on the river Severn.
He lived to the age of 82
 
Hi All'
Welcome Had Ken. Your father seems to have been a wonderful chap despite his disablement. Pity his escape did not get him very far but it seems that the food, at least improved as a result of his adventure. Where about in Brum did you live?. I was born and grew up in Small Heath

Old Boy
hadken said:
View attachment 124536

My Father, Kenneth Walter Haden was a patient at the Forelands during the 1920's, and would have been 7-10 years of age, during his stay . He had Osteomyelitis , which was a disease attacking the marrow of his bones in both legs. Relief was given by drilling the bones to release the pressure, he underwent over 100 operations of this type, often without anaesthetic. Few survived this disease.
Almost certainly he was at the Forelands during periods of remission and would be returned to the main hospital for treatment when the disease flared up again.
The Forelands was not highly rated by him, his mother (his father had passed away) was allowed to visit once a month on a Sunday afternoon. Any food she bought disappeared especially cakes.
The food was dreadful, mainly bread and dripping, they never saw eggs, little meat, cakes or the like. Punishment was a dunces cap and the wearing of a smock, one of which was, I believe red.
In the summer the beds were often pushed outside. Father and three friends decided that they had had enough of the food and conditions and planned an escape. They left in the dark one night and crossed various fields, finally arriving on the main Bromsgrove /Worcester road just outside the town centre of Bromsgrove. They were stopped by a Policeman on a little bridge on that road and returned to the "Home". They were bought before the Governing Body and explained the reasons for their actions. No punishments were given and the first fried egg was served to all the next Sunday.
The food improved greatly following the "rebellion". He met Mother at the Woodlands Hospital where she was a nurse.
Father was saved by penicillin, which was first given/used, on him, in 1946/47 at Dudley Road Hospital. However, he was disabled with no right hip or knee joints and that leg was 6" shorter than the left leg. He drove a normal car with minor modifications, played league table tennis in Birmingham and often managed to paddle a double kayak, with me , on the river Severn.
He lived to the age of 82
Click to expand...
 
eastwood46 said:
anyone with any info on this hospital,photo or history on it woulde be much appreciated.:)
Click to expand...
I am John Michael Beechey I was in Forlands Hospital for a year when I was 4 years old as I was born in 1943 it would have been 1946/47.
I had a suspected TB hip and was strapped flat to bed for six months. Obviously I cannot remember any details but it must have worked as I am still as fit as a fiddle
John Beechey
 
I was in Forelands transferred from woodlands for 8 months recovering from operations to my legs from polio, I recall, the converted stable block with rings still on the walls, wheeled out every morning for fresh air, everything with layers of whitewash on, practising archery the same, all around 1957/ish. Sweet trolley, schooling sessions, the lovely bloke in next bed taught me how to draw cartoons, yogi bear, Andy Capp etc, I was having operations at Woodland then sent to Forelands to recoup then back for next opp. Cannot say it was the best childhood in-between having bone stretching on the rack, and ops that did not go well, obviously experimental but we knew no different just accepted. I think these days you would be in therapy with PTSD. Now I am still having operations trying to dodge arthritis. I look back on my childhood with polio spending baby years in iron lung and paralysed till I was 4 or 5 and seeing others with the same disease not make it, especially the times on Ward 12 at Woodlands with Sister Mac. I suppose I was one of the lucky ones, it made me laugh in the Midwife program on tv the doctors son had polio and he had these lovely chrome callipers on his legs "what a joke" the reality was mild steel with black enamel and rusty springs that squeaked and bars and leathers straps rubbing on your ankles and legs till they bled that was the reality. Three times a week off to local hospital in Smethwick for electric therapy on machines as big as a wardrobe with pots of mercury in them leather straps on your legs lying down being shocked for , 3 hrs at a time. Wax dips. Physio.
 
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Rjm25vfr said:
I was in Forelands transferred from woodlands for 8 months recovering from operations to my legs from polio, I recall, the converted stable block with rings still on the walls, wheeled out every morning for fresh air, everything with layers of whitewash on, practising archery the same, all around 1957/ish. Sweet trolley, schooling sessions, the lovely bloke in next bed taught me how to draw cartoons, yogi bear, Andy Capp etc, I was having operations at woodland then dent to Gore lands recoup then back for next opp. Cannot say it was the best childhood in-between having bone stretching and ops that did not go well, obviously experimental but we knew no different just accepted. I think these days you would be in therapy with PTSD. Now I am still having operations trying to dodge arthritis. I look back in my childhood with polio spending baby years in it in lung and paralysed till I was 4 or 5 and seeing others with the same disease not make it, especially the times onward 12 at woodlands with Sister Mac. I suppose I was one of the lucky ones, made me laugh in the Midwife program the doctors son had polio and he had these lovely chrome callipers on his legs what a joke reality was mild steel with black enamel and rusty springs that squeaked and bars rubbed on your ankles till they bled that was the reality. Three times a week off to local hospital in Smethwick for electric therapy on these machines as big as a wardrobe with pots of mercury in them leather straps on your legs lying down being shocked for , 3 hrs at a time.
Click to expand...
Thank you for that really insightful and very open account of your childhood and subsequent life. It certainly places things into prospective.
 
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