Wednesday, April 30, 2008

"Gang of girls" - Ward 2, 1952-53

Imagine my surprise to open a letter from Barbara O'Connell ( nee Paines) that contained a list of all the girls she knew in Ward 2 during her time there as a teenager - 25!

Scanning down the names starting from Jean Shakeshaft to Tegwen was like seeing ghosts from the past jump out at me.

I have yet to speak to Barbara to clarify that this includes all the balcony girls too.

Also, Barbara has written a full account of her experiences, typed up by her granddaughter, which confirm the stories of other teenagers around that time: providing you were not that ill, and were not in for long then the chances are that you have fond memories of your time there.

"I did enjoy my stay at the hospital because our ward was one big happy family."

Barbara has photocopied some of her photos,( including two of myself which I had never seen before!) but for technical reasons I can't use them. Hopefully Barbara will be able to email them to me so that I can put them up on the blog, along with her account of her time there.

Incidentally, if you have ever visited the Ward 2,, now derelict, you will wonder, as I did, how on earth they managed to cram 20 odd beds in there. Yes, I know we were close, but that close?...

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