Elaine Davies -1952

Elaine (right) with Joan


Olive Davies, mother of Elaine, got a job at Craig-y-nos in order to be near her daughter

I have just had the following email from Canada.

" I just want you to know that the auxillary nurse in your photo gallery was my mother----Olive Davies. I was admitted to Craig-y-nos in February 1952 as a 12 year old. My mother was not going to have her little girl in Craig-y-nos and only be able to visit her once a month. We lived in Yniswen, not far from Craig-y-nos so it did'nt take her long to get a job there. The staff used to take me to the window so that I could wave to her.

Dr Williams then gave her permission to visit me once a week, you can imagine how long it took before she was visiting me every day she worked. I was lucky that we lived close by and that she was able to get a job there. I was in for 10 months at that time. I then had another stay of 5 months in 1957, that was my choice to be admitted as my mother was still working there and I did'nt want her giving up her job to look after me at home. By then of course, the archaic visiting rules had been changed to visiting every weekend.

It has been exciting for me to access your site. In fact I am in one of your photos!!...in the group photo on the balcony. A friend had written to me to say she had been at an exhibition and seen the photos of my mother and myself. In those days I was known as Elaine Davies but decided to use my first name when I started nursing training.
It has been fun, thanks,
Sandy Hansen"


(Elaine and I were in Ward 2 at the same time. - Ann)