Mr William Len Ley

Local historian and retired police constable William Len Ley has written a book about the ironworks in the Swansea valley called The Iron Cradle and it has been published by the Sleeping Giant Foundation.
He is currently researching a book on the history of Craig-y-nos.

He says:" There are two very different stories to tell. The one about the time the castle was used by Adelina Patti, the opera singer and the other equally interesting story about the time it was used as a TB sanatorium for children.
He is also a national tour guide and takes parties around Craig-y-nos .

BBCMidWales web site

Several people have already responded to the BBCMidWales web site. Hope this link works!www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/sites/abercraf/pages/annshaw.shtml

They include a woman who was on 'the balcony' at the same time as myself and a man who has family letters written by a patient there in the 1920's.

The Wellcome Trust Centre of Medicine for the History of Medicine

Dr Carol Reeves of The Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine, University College London, is helping me with my research. She has produced a reading list which includes books/articles relating to personal experiences of TB.
I had forgotten this was once known as the "white death".

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/histmed/public-engagement/index.html

The 50 year old photograph album

David, my brother warned me that there were photographs missing from the album taken which my sister-in-law, Doreen, had found at the bottom of a wardrobe.
These were photographs from Craig-y-nos taken over 50 years ago.

He was puzzled.
"Why should someone remove them?"

I was too, until I remembered asking my mother years ago about these missing photos. She had taken them out. She was ashamed.

I was reminded of this re-reading an e-mail from a former patient in Craig-y-nos. She was 8 years of age at the time and her mother burnt all the photos of her too. Only two remain from her years there.


And I think the shame of TB is one of the reasons why we have 40 years of history quietly forgotten.

First contact

Have had an email from Craig-y-nos giving me the name of a local historian. This should set the ball rolling!...also I see that there has been one comment so far to the BBC site.

BBCMidWales -online

The BBC Home Page have an interactive section for people to write and share their memories and they have mentioned my project on their web-site.
Just click on the above link.

Dr Huppert, Jewish-Austrian doctor at Craig-y-nos

Dr. Huppert, a Jewish- Austrian woman doctor, terrified the children at Craig-y-nos. She had gold teeth, smelt of tobacco and looked like a man. If she discovered children had not eaten their food she would order it to be sent back to them.

She was the one who ordered the punishment anything from being put back to strict bed rest for a week for getting out of bed to retrieve a piece of paper during Silent Hour to having beds pulled out into the corridor for crying.
Yet on one occasion she took a group of little girls rowing on the lake.

She also carried out regular blood tests on the young women. The reason for these tests have still to be found.

Sister Winnie Morgan

Sister Winnie Morgan with two girls on the balcony. Sister Morgan ruled the childrens ward.
We lived in fear of her but she had her kind side. She was not as terrifying a person as Dr Hubbard.

"Auntie Maggie" with Ann Rumsey

"Aunti Maggie" had a special place our affections of the children at Craig-y-nos. She would do shopping for us and she was very kind, well above the course of duty. We rewarded her by calling her "Auntie".

She was our substitute mother.

This photograph was taken on the balcony of Ward 2 in 1951 (approx).

Staff at Craig-y-nos

Does anyone remember the following staff at Craig-y-nos:
Dr Williams, ( head doctor), Dr Hubbard ( Austrian woman dr), Sister Winnie Morgan, Miss Thomas and Miss White, both teachers ?

If so I would like to hear your stories about them. email:annshaw@mac.com