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Marston Green Hospital

I was born at MGH and my two son's aswell and one of them born in May 1992 what month did it close??
Regards Pip
 
I knew Marston Green hospital very well,most of my friends and neighbours in Chelmsley had their babies there,I chose not to have any of my 3 in hospital.
It was such a drab looking place but how hospitals have changed.

My young neighbour gave birth to a beautiful little girl ,Sophie ,this week.
When I asked if there were more girls or boys born at the time she said she would not know.She went straight to her suite in Good hope with en suite bathroom with jaqcussi.She had her baby at 10am and came home after lunch at 1.30pm.She didn't see any other mothers and babies.
We live at Bacons End but she was able to choose which hospital to give birth in.
 
11th lol, had been in from 1st, she was 10 weeks early, she spent 5 weeks scbu. i was discharged on 18th.
 
More photos found of Marston Green Hospital
 

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  • Marston Green Maternity Hospital 1 .jpg
    Marston Green Maternity Hospital 1 .jpg
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  • Marston Green Maternity Hospital as a Canadian War Hospital.JPG
    Marston Green Maternity Hospital as a Canadian War Hospital.JPG
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Thanks Degsy, I didn't realise it was that big looking at the ariel shot, and there's some grand old cars there.
 
I was only one from my family born at MGH -all lived in Sparkhill at time.Sadly never got the chance to revisit it ever.
 
My daughter, Debbie was born at Marston Green Maternity Hospital in 1965. I loved the place. The barracks (long huts) were individual wards and they opened up on to grass so we could walk outside on sunny days. I remember the ward I was in was airy, sunny and homey. The one thing I remembered well was being wheeled from the delivery room, outside along the concrete, under the verandah that ran around the inner 'quad' and looking at the stars above. It was midnight, very cold (March) and very quiet....just amazing. I remember the nurses wrapping me in blankets and throwing a heavy rubber mat over me (I wonder if this was an x-ray apron?) to keep me warm on the trip to my ward. I was there for two weeks. No one gets that sort of holiday these days! I think the photo that is above, was the entrance from Berwicks Lane. Nice memories. I wonder if they ever did put up that plaque to this historical site? Thanks to whoever put the history of the hospital here...I knew that it had been army barracks before it became a maternity hospital but I had no idea that it was a Canadian Forces hospital. Quite neat really because I live in Canada now.
 
My son and daughter 74 & 76 respectivley were born in Marston Green and I looked at it every day I was pregnant, I lived opposite! As the birmingham/ solihull boundary changed in between , they were registered one in each!:D
I did work experience at Chelmsley hospital 73 and their were children and adults there. I spent time with both. For the adults their was a workshop where they could earn a small wage.:handshake:
Jan Hedger
 
jan hedger said:
My son and daughter 74 & 76 respectivley were born in Marston Green and I looked at it every day I was pregnant, I lived opposite! As the birmingham/ solihull boundary changed in between , they were registered one in each!:D
I did work experience at Chelmsley hospital 73 and their were children and adults there. I spent time with both. For the adults their was a workshop where they could earn a small wage.:handshake:
Jan Hedger
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Hi Jan My brother was born at Marston green also my nephews, my dad was at the Canandian troops hospital that was in marston green also now converted to offices. My dad I never knew..war baby they call me haha some baby .I have been trying to find him since I was 16 not far off 50 yrs all to no avail Canada being the only country who will not divulge info just doent seem morally right everyone has a right to know their parents ..just a photo just to see if I,m like him and I know I have half siblings , but every year I get the same letter from canadian forces not allowed to give info although in time terms of letter have changed so I believe he is no longer alive.Our parents are our making and our puzzle should be complete it breaks my heart
 
:)

Many thanks Degsy for the photo's of Marston Green Hospital. I was born there in October 1949 & have only just learned bits about it, I drove through the village for the first time a few weeks ago ! My parents passed away some time back so I have little or no details. I was borne a twin but sadly my twin was born sleeping. I always believe my twin is still with me even though I do not know if my twin was a boy or girl. The photos have given me some links at long last. Hope you are well.
 
John Houghton said:
The Marston Green Cottage Homes were erected in 1878-9 to provide accommodation for pauper children aged from three upwards. The Marston Green site was one the earliest such developments to be organised as a "village" located away from the workhouse in an airy rural setting. The original scheme, which opened in January 1880, included seven homes for boys and seven for girls, together with a probationary home, school, infirmary, swimming baths, workshops, bakehouse, a superintendent's house and offices. A farm was built to the south of the homes.
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Hi John,

Do you know how I could get a list of the children admitted to these Cottage Homes during the 1901-1911 period, please? Also, what determined which one a child was sent to? Was it the one nearest to where he/she was born?

Thanks,

Maggie
 
Both myself and my brother were born at Marston Green hospital, me in October 1972 and him in January 1974. Mum spent a whole month there before I was born...and then I was 10 days late. Many thanks to the person who posted the photos, my Mum often talked about MGH and I always wondered what it looked like.:)
 
My memories of Marston Green Maternity hospital are that it was built by Canadian Soldiers circa 1940, the timber sections were shipped from Canada and erected at Marston Green as a military hospital it gave medical care to all Allied Troops, they had a covered walkway by the side of the wards which were named after trees for example Rowan etc, in WW2 the military patients wore a blue jacket & trousers, with a red tie on their shirt a lot of them visited The Swan pub at Yardley the Army ruled that Civilians must not buy them lots of drink as they were having medical treatment, the site is now a housing estate, i think there is a sign telling that it was the site of a Canadian hospital, Marston Green Mental hospital was not on the same site and was never a part of the Maternity hospital. Len.
 
The hospital next door to Marston Green Maternity was Chelmsley hospital,it was not a 'mental hospital' but rather a home for people who had been born mentally disabled.

I spent many happy hours there as a volunteer worker.
 
I was interested to read earlier in the thread that minibuses picked up people going to the maternity hospital in the 1950's. When I started as a conductor on the Midland Red in 1962 there was an hourly 165 service from Birmingham to Coleshill via Marston Green and stopping at Berwicks Lane for the hospitals. The Chelmsley Hospital then was referred to as Marston Green Cottage Homes in the Midland Red timetable. On Sundays only, special extra buses ran as 166's to coincide with visiting times. These turned back at Blackfirs Corner, a bit past Berwicks Lane and were referred to by the crews as the Bun Runs. On weekdays, the 166 turned at Marston Green Tavern, a fair old walk from the hospitals.
 
I used to live directly in front of the hospital entrance on Berwicks Lane, lost my first baby there in 1983 then ten months later had another precious one to fight for :) some fantastic nurses there, one I remember fondly is Maureen Cleaver. My boy is now 25 . we moved to shropshire and later had two more of the little blighters .. Also my nan was bought up in the 'childrens Home' in the early part of last century that was later Chelmsley Wood Mental Hospital... I used to hear the sirens and thought it was a great escape.. how very old fashioned... Dad was bought up in Sparkhill and knew Chelmsley as a Bluebell Wood when he was a child doing bike rides with his mates... x
 
Your reference to the mental hospital was interesting, in 1950 my girl friend Audrey lived in the grounds of the mental hospital, both her father and mother, Mr and Mrs Barton worked there. I think they must have been fairly important, they had the very large house just inside the main entrance,
 
And there was me thinking that I was the only person alive born at Marston Green Maternity Hospital - 12 December 1949!

Back in those days I guess it wasn't the norm for Mums-to-be to have their babies in hospitals and I always wondered why I was born so far from home - Great Barr?? I believe that I was a long and difficult birth, which may explain the reason for being born in a Maternity Hospital.

Fascinating to read all of the posts on the Hospital, and sad to learn that it no longer exists. I live along way away now (Australia) so will never get the opportunity to visit the place of my birth. The BIG 6'O this year!! ;)
 
Hi Rodger I would save the photo's to show your family. We are very lucky as not many photo's excist. :)
 
Thanks Wendy, I'll look forward to seeing those photos. Might try and visit the site next time I'm in the UK, possibly mid 2010.
 
Hi everyone, Fransu here.I am new to Birmingham History Forum.I was born at Marston Green April 1961,my mother lived in Aston at the time.Loved reading all the stories and looking at the archive pictures of the hospital.I would love to see my actual birth details if possible.Does anyone know where the hospital records would have gone once the hospital closed in ?1992.
 
Alberta said:
The photo that Colin posted was of the Chelmsley hospital main gates,the building to the left of the photo was the administration office.

I spent many happy hours in there in the 70s,I volunteered with the friends of Chelmsley hospital and I was assigned to insure that every resident had a birthday card.,I also worked with an art group which was very satifying.

My son was a nurse there and he encouraged me to volunteer and I can remember very clearly my first day,I was completely overwhelmed.
The residents,they were called kids then but it is now nonPC,were mostly very badly mentally and physically disabled,I went home that day and sobbed my heart out.
I went back the next day and loved it from that moment.

My husband,now ex, was a bus driver and in 1981 ,which was the international year of the Disabled, his bus depot decided to donate a bus and driver every week to help us get the residents out and about.
We took a House(ward) of residents and nurses at a time all through the summer.Many bus drivers came along with their families also.
We went to Billing Aquadrome and Drayton Manor,we met with many stares but on the whole people were lovely
As the years went by and my health failed a bit I gave up my volunteer work.By this time less youngsters with these disabilities were being born because of the prenatal testing and those that were had more help and stayed as part of their family,just as it should be.
Most of the hospital then became redundant and that which was left was redeveloped into large houses so that the remaining residents got away from being institutionalised.


The Marston Green maternity hospital wasn't half as grand architecturally as Chelmsley in fact it all looked like Nissen huts.
I never gave birth there but had an operation in 1978 and the staff were marvellous even if the building was a dated.
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In 1948 my girl friends parents, Mr and Mrs Barton lived in a house on the left of the entrance to the hospital. I believe both of them were employed at the hospital. Some time later I heard that Mr Barton had been killed while riding his bycycle. My girl friend Audry had an elder brother and sister, the sister worked at the cinema in Coleshill. One of Audry's friends was Pamela Mosely whose parents had the sweet factory in Marston Green.

George Wheeler.
 
Hi all

I have posted many photos of MGH as I was an Electrician there for 12 years.

I would like to thanks all those who have posted stories as they bring back fantastic memories of a happy hospital.

Many thanks

Degsy
 
Degsy, thank you so much for posting the photos. Having a baby is a very special time and you've made a lot of mums, and dads, very happy to see the old place again.:)
 
I would also like to thank Degsy for the photos of MGH. I was born there March 1957 and had never seen it. Also like one of the other members Fransu, I would like to see my birth records, does anyone know where they would be kept? If still in existance. Thank you I have enjoyed reading all your messages. Regards. Sharon.
 
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