Boys on the balcony - 1945

Gerwyn Davies has sent in these photos of his time in Craig-y-nos. He was there for 14 months up to 1945. We are still trying to put names to the children.

Do you recognize anyone? If so email :annshaw@mac.com

"The Children of Craig-y-nos" by Ann Shaw and Carole Reeves is published by The Wellcome Centre for the History of Medicine, UCL, in paperback, price £9.99p and available from most good bookshops or online from Amazon.co.uk

TB Survival Project

I wonder how many of you know about the TB Survival Project? a former colleague of mine gave me this link.
n The Herald newspaper , where I worked for over 20 years, in Glasgow.

Sadly she died recently from TB.
TB Survival Project

Mary Davies- how the internet reunited the "lost children"

Mary, age 9 , Ward 2 balcony, 1951


Mary Davies ( nee Morris) with her grandson, Stephen, at the book launch of "The Children of Craig-y-nos".

Often it was the children and grandchildren of the original "children of Craig-y-nos" that made the initial contact with me like Stephen (above). This is his original email on behalf of his grandmother:


"I was in Craig-y-nos in 1951. The photo shows me holding a teddy bear taken in September it was a present from my family for my 9th birthday in August. I don’t remember much about my stay only that I was out on the balcony and when I was rainy and windy they had to put tarpaulin on top of the bed to stop it getting wet. While in Craig-Y-Nos I made 3 good friends one was called Mary Jones one Jeanette Wakeham but I cannot recall the name of the 3rd one, we had a photograph taken but I can’t find it but will keep looking for it, and post it up on here when I do. I also remember doing lessons much to my disgust!



When I had a bungalow built I named it Craig-y-nos after my experience of the real Craig-Y-Nos.

I have been married for 46 years have 3 children and 4 grandchildren. The thing that sticks out in my mind was my parents were only allowed to see me one weekend a month. They only came one day as it was to far to travel as we lived in Rhayader in Mid Wales."


Mary still lives in Rhayader and, at our first official reunion two years ago, she was the first to arrive having driven alone for over two hours through the mountains.

This video clip captures her emotions on that momentous day:
Mary Davies


"The Children of Craig-y-nos" by Ann Shaw and Carole Reeves, paperback price £9.99., available from Brecon museum, Amazon.co.uk or most good bookshops.

Brian Richards - Bournemouth

Brian Richards travelled all the way from his home in Bournemouth to attend the book launch of " The Children of Craig-y-nos".

Now a retired baker, he was in Craig-y-nos along with his two brothers.

"The Children of Craig-y-nos" by Ann Shaw and Carole Reeves, paperback price £9.99., available from Amazon.co.uk or direct from Carole Reeves, Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine, UCL, 183 Euston Rd., London, NW1 2BE. Phone 02076.798 135

Ellis Thomas and "The Children of Craig-y-nos"

Both Carole Reeves and myself have received letters from Ellis Thomas regarding the book: "Children of Craig-y-nos":

"Have just received my copy of the book. What a marvellous production! I was
taking a first flick through it when Ann rang, asking if I'd received it!
The book I find absorbing, to be read and re-read. I thank you and Ann most
sincerely for creating something which I never thought I'd see in my time -
and all through an enquiry on the correspondence page of the local paper!"

Thank you Ellis. It is always good to have feedback.

Margaret Madock- at the book launch

Margaret was a patient from 1951-53.

Gwanwyn Evans - 1931

Gwanwyn Evans with her brother


Gwanwyn Evans, first lady mayor of the county of Brecknock (1981/82) who was in Craig-y-nos in 1931 as a ten year old.

"I am reading "The Children of Craig-y-nos"" and I have got to page 91...it is most interesting...do you know that I think it was Nan Davies* who took my place singing in the concert. The dates are not quite correct but it is such a long time ago... I had the best voice in the ward and I was so looking forward to it. My mother had sent me in a special frock to wear and a nurse had put my hair in rags the night before so that I would have ringlets.

Then I woke up with a temperature and I had to stay in bed. I think it was the excitement. But I was so disappointed!"


Eighty-eight year old Gwanwyn, who lives in Aberyscir near Brecon, had hoped to come to the book launch and had paid her deposit but she couldnt find anyone to bring her.
"Afterwards Glynne Lowe rang me up. We have known each other for years and neither of us knew that the other had spent years of our childhood in Craig-y-nos."
If I had known I would have got a lift with Glynne."

I mention my cousin, Edna Walters, who farms near Brecon.
" Of course I know Edna! " says Gwanwyn.
"She came to the book launch too."
"If only I had known..."
"She would have been delighted to have given you a lift."

Her husband Glynne Evans, former vice-chair of Powys Area Health Hospital is also reading the book with particular interest for he was involved in the decision to move the children to Talgarth.


*Nan Davies
Her story is on page 16 of the book- how the ghost of Adelina Patti tapped her on the shoulder and told her she would go out and sing the best she had ever done.

"The Children of Craig-y-nos", by Ann Shaw and Carole Reeves, price £9.99, is available from Brecon museum. It can also be ordered from any bookshop or online from Amazon.co.uk
Or contact Dr Carole Reeves, The Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine, UCL, 183 Euston Rd., London, NW1 2BE. Phone: 02076 798 135.

Gareth Wyke at the book launch

Gareth Wyke as a child in Craig-y-nos...


...returning as an adult

Gareth Wyke travelled all the way from Stourbridge in the West Midlands to attend the book launch of "The Children of Craig-y-nos".

He says of his five years in Craig-y-nos from the age of 5 in 1953:

"I think my time in hospital definitely effected the person I was to
become.I relate to words and phrases such as ones you mentioned, like'lost
childhood','loner','self reliant','independant' and could also add
'anti-social[sometimes]','unloved',and 'persecution complex'.
When I arrived home I had a new sister I'd never seen before and she used
to cry and say I wasn't her brother.
However,despite having 'matchstick legs' and being teased by new classmates
I made a full recovery becoming a PE teacher and playing rugby until I was
fifty."

Copies of the book "The Children of Craig-y-nos" can be ordered from any good bookseller . The number to quote is: ISBN-13: 978-0-85484-126-4.

There are two wholesalers who will be able to supply the book. These are
www.bertrams.com and www.gardners.com

Alternatively contact Dr Carole Reeves, Outreach Historian , The Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine, UCL,183 Euston Rd., London, NW1 2BE, price £9.99 or online from www.amazon.co.uk

"Children of Craig-y-nos" Hay Book Festival

Emma Davies (left) and Emma Evans of the Welsh Book Council at the Hay Book Festival.

They are holding a copy of "The Children of Craig-y-nos" . The Welsh Book Council had very kindly agreed for me to display the book on their stand at very short notice and a number of copies were sold.

Children of Craigynos

We are staying in a cottage in Llanigon belonging to Pollly Rogers and she tells me that a friend of hers has a relative who was interviewed by me for the book"Children of Craig-y-nos". They want to buy a copy. A signed copy.

Archbishop of Canterbury at Hay Festival

Last night the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, and Desmond Tutu attended service in St Mary's church.

We arrive late. Very late. We are ushered through to the front pew marked "reserved" along with some other late-comers.

Afterwards a Catholic priest asks who we are. (Folk think we are celebrities from the Hay Festival.)
"Sorry, we are just late-comers!"
The priest is disappointed.

The Archbishop - who was a mere 5 yards from me - spoke about love and the power of healing. Afterwards I joined the queue to shake his hand.

You just never know what is going to happen at Hay next....

Dannie Abse

Dannie Abse, Wales' greatest living poet, gave a reading of poems from his new book before a rapt audience.

One woman dares to chatter to her companion while he searches for the next poem and he whips his specs off and glares in her direction. She goes bright red and never says another word.

Afterwards I join the queue to get my two books signed.


Except in the queue I am joined by Arnold Whesker and his entourage of friends behind me. My courage fails me. No way could I begin to explain about Craig-y-nos with Whesker standing behind me.
So I wave them through.

In fact when I look at the long queue I decide to wait until the last.


Finally I am face to face with Dannie Abse.
He is charming.
He expresses surprise at the book "Children of Craig-of-nos" ( " I don't know anything about this") so I explain that it has only just been published and I show him his quote which Carole Reeves had picked to introduce the book.

He's delighted. He accepts a copy and he seems genuinely pleased to receive it.

Then he signs the two books: one for Carole and one for myself.


For Dannie Abse was a doctor, a chest specialist, before he became a poet.

Internet access

First of all a moan about internet access at Hay. It is atrocious! dont know what they have done to it but in previous years there was no difficulty updating blogs on Festival site.

Now its a hit and miss operation. Mainly miss...
So its up to the Hay Tourist Office, join queue for computer then the agonising slow wait as the computer boots up and you try to connect...all the time the minutes and money is ticking away.

Oh yes and the Tourist office closes at 5pm so no chance of using it in the evening.

Come on Hay Festival- you can do better than this! and to compound the problem I cant use Twitter either because my Iphone is on O2 and this is an orange mobile phone area.

Dannie Abse

Dannie Abse will be talking later today. Have just bought his book and will give him

a copy of "The Children of Craig-y-nos". We have a quote by him in the book:

"TB I've got
You know what TB signifies?
Totally buggered. He laughed.

His sister cried."

Mari Friend

Mari Friend ( nee Jenkins) with her husband, Peter, and Ann Shaw (nee Rumsey)at the book launch"Children of Craig-y-nos" in Craig-y-nos Castle.

Says Ann:"We were children in Craig-y-nos together. It is great to meet up with so many friends again."

Hay Book Festival

Delivered books -"The Children of Craig-y-nos"-to Welsh book stand at Hay Festival.
They have sold three today and I have more back in my rented cottage - thanks to Carole Reeves sending them in advance from London though they are intended for the Brecon museum later in the week.

Scorching hot weather in Hay. Town sold out of sunscream and the public loos next to the Tourist Information Office only flush intermittently.

The London literrati who have decamped here for the week are not amused.

Cynthia Mullan, director of the Sleeping Giant Foundation and Len Ley, local historian at the launch of the book "The Children of Craig-y-nos" in the restored Glass Conservatory of Craig-y-nos Castle

Some people are having difficulty ordering 

 'The Children of Craig-y-nos' through local bookshops.

Dr Carole Reeves has asked me to point out that:

 "'The Children of Craig-y-nos' is available through bookshops and on Amazon

(www.amazon.co.uk) if you prefer to order online. 

If your local bookshop tells you that they don't know how to order it (as happened to someone

recently) tell them to contact their wholesaler quoting the book's ISBN

number. This is ISBN-13: 978-0-85484-126-4. This number is unique to the

book and will identify it immediately.

There are two wholesalers who will be able to supply the book. These are

www.bertrams.com and www.gardners.com  

Most bookshops will deal with these

wholesalers."

(photo: Karen Howard)

Children of Craig-y-nos - a healing project

(book launch) - photo Karen Howard

Many people are telling me how they found being involved with the Children of Craig-y-nos project a healing process.

For the first time, and I include myself, we were able to talk about those experiences in childhood which had been buried deep in our minds, dark secrets from the past which we dared not talk about.  Now it has all been brought out into the open and we realise that it is no longer a taboo subject,  and we feel healed by the process of being able to talk and share these experiences with others who went through it .

"Children of Craig-y-nos"by Ann Shaw and Carole Reeves, published by The Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at UCL, price £9.99p

available online through Amazon.co.uk,  as a free PDF file http://www.ucl.ac.uk/histmed/library/craig_book

Val's newsagent in Ystradgynlais - I have just heard that they sold out of the books as they were being unpacked and they have placed another order!

Any bookshop will order the book for you. If there is any difficulty the ISBN number is : 

ISBN -10: 0-85484-126-1 

ISBN-13:978-0-85484-126-4

Alternatively, ring Carole Reeves: 02076.798 135 or write to her:

Dr Carole Reeves,

The Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine,

183 Euston Rd.,

London,

NW1 2BE

PS

One reason we sold out so quickly at the book launch was that people were buying them up as Christmas presents!  in the end we had to say that ex-patients had priority.

More launch photos-at Craig-y-nos Castle

Malcolm Shaw ( Ann's husband ) who was responsible for digitising and "cleaning" all the photographs with Gwen Jones, a  family friend from Llanbedr.

Pam Hamer ( nee Osmond) who was a child in plaster duringthe late 1940s out on the balcony and woke one night to find a rat running up inside her bed. " I felt its long tail against my face I screamed and the night nurse appeared.  She told me it was Joey the pet rat from the kitchen who had come to see me."

"The Children of Craig-y-nos" is available  online from Amazon.co.uk or Dr Carole Reeves:  02076 798 135. Alternatively any bookshop will order it for you.

Ann and Carol signing books at the launch of "The Children of Craig-y-nos".

(photo: Karen Howard)

Christine and Beryl at book launch

Christine Perry ( nee Bennett) and Beryl Rowlands ( nee Richards)  at the book launch of "The Children of Craig-y-nos".

(Photo: Karen Howard)

1950s- Pat and Ann - Craig-y-nos Castle

Pat Stickler ( nee Moore) and Ann Shaw ( nee Rumsey at the book launch.*

Says Pat: " I was in the bed next to Ann when she came in.  I was told not to frighten her with ghost stories because she was too ill."

*"The Children of Craig-y-nos" by Ann Shaw and Carole Reeves  is available online at Amazon.co.uk or direct from Dr Carole Reeves: 02076 798135

1940s Reunion at book launch

Nurse Glen with ex patient Roy Harry


All from the 1940s ex- patients (left to right) Christine Raybold, Vera Blewett and Roy Harry with nurse Valerie Brent (extreme right)


Megan Thomas ( 1941-1944) " I came out just after my 17th birthday"

Book signing - Craig-y-nos Castle

Dr Carole Reeves, Outreach Historian with the Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine, University College London and Ann Shaw co-authors of the book "The Children of Craig-y-nos" * signing copies of the book at the recent launch in the restored Glass Conservatory in the Castle.

Some of the people present had been child patients in the Conservatory.


* Book available online from Amazon.co.uk or

Dr Carole Reeves
Outreach Historian
The Wellcome Trust Centre
for the History of Medicine at UCL
183 Euston Road
London NW1 2BE

Or Val's newsagent, Ystradgynlais

Free PDF file to download from
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/histmed/library/craig_book

(photo: Karen Howard)

Launch top story on UCL site

Our book launch of "The Children of Craig-y-nos" is the top story on the University of London online site. Follow this link http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/0905/09050504

Roy Harry

Roy Harry at the book launch in Craig-y-nos Castle



Roy as a child after his time in Craig-y-nos.

In the book "Children of Craig-y-nos" Roy wrote an account of his experience of having a gastric lavage.
This is the procedure whereby a child was held, often by more than one nurse, while another pushed a tube down the child's throat to extract fluids from the stomach.

This was then injected into guinea pigs. If the guinea pigs lived you were cured and could go home.

He says of his 18 months in Craig-y-nos:" I went home singing in Welsh with nits in my hair."

Free download of "Children of Craig-y-nos"

You can download "Children of Craig-y-nos" for free by clicking on the following link:

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/histmed/library/craig_book

Then click on 'free download' in the text.

Or you can order a copy online from
Amazon.co.uk

A newsagent in Ystradgynlais has expressed an interest in stocking the book because so many customers have already asked for it. We will let you know when she has them.

Fifty years on: Children of Craig-y-nos- book launch

(from left to right) Christine Perry ( nee Bennett), Valerie Brent ( ex- nurse) and Beryl Richards ( nee Rowlands)

Christine has just forwarded me this photograph taken at last Friday's book launch so I thought it would be fun to put in photos of the time when they were in Craig-y-nos - over 50 years ago.





Christine in playful mode on the balcony of Ward 2 ( 1956)


Beryl with Tosca, the pony belonging to Dr Williams' daughters that the teenage patients used to ride using their dressing-gown girdles as halters- strictly forbidden of course!

"The Children of Craig-y-nos" is available from Amazon.com

Photos from Book launch

(from left to right) Dr Carole Reeves, co-author and medical historian, Valerie Brent, ex nurse who worked at Craig-y-nos for two years as a teenager in the 1940s, Ann Shaw, ex-patient and co-author, Cynthia Mullane, director The Sleeping Giant Foundation, the local oral history charity who were very helpful in getting the project started.



Do you have photos from the book launch which you would like to share?
then send them on email to annshaw@mac.com

Book launch- Craig-y-nos Castle

Dr Carole Reeves ( left) and Ann Shaw in the Glass Conservatory the day before the book launch.

Our 200 books sold out within 2 hours! Clive Rowlands opened it at noon . He told the story of his time as boy on the balcony and how he kicked a rugby wall straight throw the French windows and got put in a straitjacket .

Cynthia Mullane of The Sleeping Giant introduced Carol and myself. The Sleeping Giant filmed the event. Lots of people took photos including my friend Karen Howerd from Scotland. Angela ( my neice) and her husband Roger sold the books while Carole Reeves and I signed them.

Caroline Boyce, (nee Havard) ex patient returning for the first time in 50 years had travelled from Scotland with her husband Paul and they helped at the launch by giving people name badges.

BBC journalist Geoff Ballinger interviewed many ex patients including Nurse Glenys Davies who was looking very well.

Barbara Pye now in her 80th year was there with two friends who used to visit her when she was in Craigynos as a young woman in 1947. Barbara was among the first in Britain to receive streptomycin.

It was also the first time back for Pamela Hamer and in my
introduction I told the story how she woke up one night on the balcony to find a rat I'm her bed!

Will post photos on blog on return to Scotland.

Says Carole: " We could have sold another 100 easily."

Don't worry if you didnt get a copy on the day. This is print-on-demand so we will never run out except for a few days.
Many people asked to be put on a list and we will contact you.

Meanwhile you can always get the book from Amazon.co.uk
or ask your local bookshop to order it for you. Price £9.99

Child's plaster bed- Craig-y-nos

Roy Harry with Linda Delves and the plaster cast belonging to a relative

Here's a medical curiosity: how many people would recognize this cast as that belonging to a child with TB?

It was found in the attic of one Swansea family and Linda Delve rang me wondering what to do with it.

It belonged to her aunt Margaret Scott who was in Craig-y-nos as a toddler in the early 1940s. She was sent home as a five year old with the plaster cast and told to sleep in it every night.

Her aunt has since died.

Linda hopes to interest Swansea museum in adding it to their collection for
TB was rife in the Welsh valleys and many children spent years lying motionless in such contraptions.

Meanwhile, if you come to our book launch on Friday, May 1st, at Craig-y-nos Castle you will be able to see the plaster cast for it will be on display for a day.

Craig-y-nos - 2 nights as Christmas present!

Patricia Stickler ( nee Moore) tells me she will be staying at Craig-y-nos Castle this week.


"My husband and I will be staying at the hotel for April 29/30 as a Christmas gift from my daughter, who is a dog fanatic. Just before Christmas she found one of the dog trust sites auctioning two nights at Craig-y-nos donated by the hotel and thought it would be an ideal present -or not???

Anyway, her partner stayed up all night to successfully bid for it.

I did have mixed feelings but when I heard of your book launch I decided to go ahead."


I look forward to meeting you Patricia, especially since we seemed to have been next to each other in bed some 50 years ago!

"Tied to the bed, in a straitjacket" - Joan, age 8, 1948

Just when you think you have heard all the stories about Craig-y-nos yet another new one pops into my email box.

Wendy Dove says her mother, Joan Harris, was in Craig-y-nos for two years ( 1948-50.)

"I was brought up hearing many stories of her stay there, and I was always intrigued to know more! I will most definitely be buying your book.

"Most of her stories were quite negative. Mum was 8/9 at the time and strong minded, so I suppose she would be getting into a lot of mischief!"

So I rang Joan up. She lives in Coventry, works as a hotel manageress and had discovered this blog quite accidentally while googling her home town of Phillipstown near Tredegar.


"I couldn't believe it when I read the stories. Until now nobody would believe me when I told them the things that happened to me as a child in Craig-y-nos.

"I used to be tied to the bed on a regular basis, it was a strait-jacket they put you into and folded your arms in front of you. I used to get up to mischief. Once I threw a slipper and it went straight out of the window through the iron bars ( remember the iron bars on the windows? ) and landed in the courtyard near a nurse who was standing there with her boyfriend.

Well, I got a terrible row . They wanted to know whose slipper it was. So, back into the straitjacket for me."

"My bed war near the fire escape and I used to plan to escape. I thought if I followed the river it would lead me to Swansea to my grandmother's home."


Joan was one of nine children and the family moved to Coventry when she was 16. She is married with one daughter.


How about this for a coincidence: Joan was in the next bed to Caroline Boyce ( nee Havard) who lives 15 miles along the road from me in Scotland!...

Book launch -May 1st Craig-y-nos Castle

Just checked with the Castle. So far 95 people have booked in for lunch amd there will be two sittings.

It should be quite a party!
We leave from Scotland next Wednesday flying down to Cardiff then picking up a hire car. We will be staying in Abercraf.

Ann and Mari on the farm

Ann Shaw ( nee Rumsey) (left) and Mari Friend( nee Jenkins) at Ty-Llangenny farm.


After I left Craig-y-nos Mari used to come with her parents to visit and often she would stay on the farm.

My dog Bonnie- life after Craig-y-nos

s

My mother promised me a puppy when I came home from Craig-y-nos and this is Bonnie my Welsh corgi.

Len Ley- local historian

Len Ley

Len rang me this morning to say that he will be able to attend the launch and he will be available to do tours of the castle.

This was very popular at the last Reunion - most ex-patients just want to see where their beds were!
However, for those of us who were out on the balconies there is nothing to see because they were demolished many years ago.


The Childrens wards remain like a time warp- virtually unchanged from the days it was used as a childrens santaorium though latterly these rooms were used as a geriatric hospital.

Today the rooms form the basis for the ghost hunting tours with seances taking place in the Six-Bedder, formerly the boudoir of Adelina Patti.


Portrait of Adelina Patti , Brecon Town Hall.

Flying visit- book launch

My very good friend Karen Howard tells me that she will be taking the early morning flight from Edinburgh to Cardiff on May 1 so that she will be able to attend the book launch.

Children of Craig-y-nos book launch

Marlene ( centre) with her family in California



Marlene in Craig-y-nos 1954



Sheila Halford inside Ward 2 with Marlene's bed on blocks behind her.

This is the image that Marlene found one day when she "googled" Craig-y-nos - and that is how she discovered the "Chidlren of Craig-y-nos" project.


BBC Radio 4 want to make a programme about "The Children of Craig-y-nos" and we think will be there on the May 1st for the launch of the book.

Meanwhile sixty people have already booked in for the lunch.

And I am getting phone calls from all over the place from people anxious to make certain that they will get a copy of the book on the day.


Marlene Philibosian (nee Hopkins) rang from California. She would love to come over but she will be in Hawaii at the time ( lucky woman!). However Marlene wants a book and Dr Carole Reeves ( my co-author) has suggested she get it from Amazon.com.

It will be available online after May 1st.

Marlene was in from 1953 - 54. She says it was the experience of Craig-y-nos that took her into nursing and led her to further her studies in America - and she never returned.

"The girl in the next bed to me went on to become a doctor - Gwyneth Davies".

Many ex patients did in fact go into nursing or health related professions.

Brian Thomas- abandoned child

I have just made an amazing discovery: Brian Thomas, abandoned in Craig-y-nos as a two year old, lives less than 30 miles from me in Scotland!

During research for the book several people had mentioned that some children were left at Craig-y-nos by parents who found themselves overhwelmed by the sheer burden of poverty and disease made worse by the difficulty of getting to Craig-y-nos on public tranport.

These children moved on to orphanges but at least one was adopted locally though no-one could remember the details.

Now we have found him.

His name is Brian and he was adopted by local bus driver George Thomas and his wife Gladys.

Today Brian works and lives as an electrician in Glasgow and he tells me he hopes to come to the book launch on May 1st "if at all possible."

We look forwad to meeting you there Brian.

Margaret Scott

Receive phone call from Linda Delve in Swansea.

Her aunt, Margaret Scott, died some time ago and the family,
while clearing out the attic, found in pristine condition the body cast of five year old Margaret .

She had been sent home from Craig-y-nos with the cast and told to sleep in it every night.


For Margaret had been put into Craig-y-nos in the early 1940s as an 18 month old toddler, uncertain whether she had TB or polio. She remained there until she was five years of age



Now the family are faced with the problem of disposing of the cast. That's why Linda rang me. I suggest Swansea museum but first, I ask, would she like to bring it up to Craig-y-nos as a medical artefact on May 1st for the mini exhibition and book launch?

Linda is delighted at the suggestion.
" I am reluctant to just throw this cast into the bin. It has such memories."

Too true.
Many ex child patients will remember the years they spent encased in similar body casts.

Book launch - invitation

If you would like to attend the launch of "The Children of Craig-y-nos" on May 1st then ring up Craig-y-nos Castle direct and book in for the carvery lunch ( £12.95).

The number is: 01639 730205.

Over 150 invitations ( an example is featured here) have already been sent out.


The invitation says:
"A celebration to launch the book

will be held at
Craig-y-nos Castle, Brecon Rd., Pen-y-case, Powys SA9 1GL
on 1 May 2009 at 12 noon

followed by a carvery lunch ( priced £12.95) at 1pm

If numbers exceed restaurant places, there will be a second lunch sitting at 2.30 pm

If you and members of yourr family or friends and colleagues would like to attend please book directly with Craig-y-nos Castle
Tel 01639 730205

Ann and Carole hope to welcome you there

There will be a limited number of books for sale at a discounted price of £8.50 ( cover price £9.99)

We regret that we are unable to accept creid or debit cards.

The book will be available through Amazon and selected bookshops
You will also be able to download copies from http://www.ucl.ac.uk/histmed ( after May 1st).

Iris Jones - 1937

Iris Jones (front row) on the balcony of Ward 2 in 1937.


David Jones, husband of Iris, just rang wanting to place an order for the book, "Children of Craig-y-nos". He will be at the book launch so I have assured him that a copy will be put aside for him lest we run out on the day.

However, it is worth reminding people that we received over 1,200 photos and only 200 could be used in the book so we have had to do some drastic editing.

Book launch- May 1st- Craig-y-nos Castle

Plans are well in hand now for the book launch on May 1st in Craig-y-nos Castle. Carole will be sending out invitations shortly either by snail-mail or email and we are expecting a terrific response.


It will be a lunch time "do" - similar to the Reunion- and it will take place in the Glass Conservatory which has recently been refurbished and I am assured it looks magnificent - Patti would be proud of it!


The book is selling for £9.99 but at the book launch there will be a special price of £8.50.

Knots, Girl Guides and Craig-y-nos

What would Health and Safety have to say about this today?
Girl Guides teaching patients how to light a fire and barbecue on Ward 2 balcony.




Guide leader prepares a sausage for the balcony barbecue.


Every time I tie a reef knot I remember where I learnt it: as a guide at Craig-y-nos.

Therefore I have fond memories of the guides for they represented a direct contact with the outside world, apart from monthly visits from parents, so I was delighted to receive the following email from Helena Thomas.


" Next year Guiding will be celebrating its Centenary. We hope to publish a pictorial book about Guding in Wales and I am hoping you will give permission to publish some of the photographs you sent me. The Guides at Craig-y-Nos are an important part of our history. I have found out the names of the leaders who helped and the dates they were there, but that is all the information I have at present.

You have certainly found out a lot about Craig-y-Nos when it was a hospital. Our county AGM is on 24th April and our guest speaker is going to talk about Craig-y-nos."

Gwynne Arms- visiting Craig-y-nos

(From left to right):
David, my brother, unknown man, Mrs Price, owner of the Gwynne Arms, my mother and father.

The Gwynne Arms was a popular pub with visitors to Craig-y-nos. My mother struck up a close friendship with the owner, Mrs Price, throughout the four years she visited me in Craig-y-nos.

Here's a rare photo of my mother, father and brother. I never did see my brother while I was in hospital because children were not allowed in though once I did wave to him from inside Ward 2 though to be honest I had no idea which one was him in the huge crowd gathered in the courtyard before the doors opened at 2pm to allow visitors in.

I had only been in a few months and Nurse Glen carried me to the window to wave to him.

Mari Friend ( nee Jenkins), 1950-53

After Mari and I left Craig-y-nos our mothers kept in contact and Mari came to stay with me on the farm, Ty-Llangenny, near Crickhowell.

Who is this girl?

At home- Ty-llangenny Farm

Trawling through my album I came across some photos taken on the farm shortly after leaving Craig-y-nos. This is one with Mari Friend ( nee Jenkins), her father and my mother.

I am holding Bonnie the corgi my mother bought for me to come home.

Girls on the balcony with teacher- - early 1950's

This should stir some memories!

Yet another photo from Mari Friend (nee Jenkins) vast collection. Miss Thomas ( teacher) is second from left followed by Jean Shakeshaft and Mari.

In the front row (right) is Barbara O' Connell ( Paines). We don't know the names of the other two girls.

Mari Jenkins - 1951

Mari Jenkins , August 1951

Mari's son, Chris, emailed me this photo of her in Craig-y-nos which she has just found. It's amazing how, more than two years after this project started, photos are still coming in.


Thank you one and all!

What's more, Mari still has her doll....

Former nurse's story of her time in Craig-y-nos 1955

Brian Jones sent in this account from the South Wales Voice of his mother who worked at Craig-y-nos. It offers a fascinating insight into life there from the perspective of a part-time member of staff"

"South Wales Voice
29th April 1955

What it is like to be a part-time nurse

I live quite near Craig-y-nos, the former home of the famous soprano, Adelina Patti, which has now been converted into a chest hospital for children and adult women. After hearing a broadcast appeal for part-time helpers, and having several free hours every day when my husband was at work and my children at school, I applied for a position and was accepted. No previous nursing experience was necessary so I would begin as a very raw recruit, knowing nothing about hospitals except the little I had observed during the short period I had spent in one as a patient - only two weeks to be exact,

Early the next Monday morning, after I had seen my children off to school, I went to the hospital to start my new work. I was taken to the sewing room and issued with a very starchy uniform and a small round cap which reminded me of Mrs Beeton. It took me some time to master the art of getting into this uniform but eventually I was dressed and ready to become Florence Nightingale's most fervent follower.

I was assigned to Ward 4, a new building, modern in style, which was built after Craig-y-nos had been converted from a country house into a hospital. The ward was bright and cheerful with large windows overlooking the lawns and the river Tawe which, in dry weather, was a mere trickle but in the rainy season deverloped into a raging brown torrent, the roar of which could be heard clearly in the wards.

It was all quite strange and confusing at first, and I had great difficulty in remembering the names of the twentyfour patients. Most of these were young girls but there were also several young married women. They were all very charming and friendly and their gaiety and courage filled me with admiration. Their humour was all the more astonishing because many of them had to spend months, even years, away from their homes and children. They hardly ever grumbled and only an occasional one or two became depressed. Indeed, their cheerfulness was so infectious that they often cheered me up and made me see the lighter side of my several small troubles.

I soon became accustomed to the unchanging routine of the ward, Every morning, the sweeping and dusting had to be done, beds made, flowers brought in from the bathroom where they were kept overnight, and everything tidied up in readiness for the doctors' daily visits. At ten o'clock the patients had what I think was meant to be "elevenses" but which was called "lunch".

After we had given this out and collected the cups we got down to the serious business of blanket-bathing the bed-patients. This was very popular as it gave us a good excuse for having a nice long chat. Esconsed in screens, we discussed everything under the sun - books, films, fashion, radio programmes and our respective families. We soon knew all about each other and our children. My son's progress at school created enormous interest and, when he passed an exam, he had a lovely surprise when a congratulatory telegram arrived, sent by the patients of the entire ward.

Some of the other jobs I had to do were filling hot-water bottles, helping to serve meals, washing combs and brushes, tidying lockers, changing library books and, of course, there was the inevitable bed-making.

I have been at Craig-y-nos for seven years now. They have slipped past with what seems incredible speed. I have seen hundreds of patients come in ill and go home cured. It gives me great satisfaction to know that I, in my humble and insignificant way, have helped to nurse so many of them back to health. I often think of them, and I know they think of me, too, because every Christmas, the largest number of my greeting cards come from ex-patients of Adelina Patti Hospital.

Margaret Teresa Jones
Dan-yr-ogof Cottage
Penycae
Swansea Valley"

Book launch - May 1st 2009

At last we have got a firm date for the book launch. It will take place on Friday May 1st in Craig-y-nos Castle.


More details to follow but it will follow roughly the same pattern as the highly successful Reunion - folk will ring up the castle and book themselves in for the lunch/book launch.