1949 patient on Ward 2. Remember doubling up in beds for film night, Toc H entertainment, so much fun was had. The Queen Mother came to open the Portland and we all dressed up. Mr Campbell did Monday ward rounds a lovely man. The Portland lads used to come up to chat to us at night. Spent 15 months there, met some lovely people. The pool was lovely and warm. We slept out on the veranda when the weather was settled, we were brown as berries, made the time pass quite quickly. Went home quite a bit straighter after all their efforts. Thank you all who looked after me.
By Margaret Marvin now Henson (20/11/2022)
Hi, Nice picture. I was at Harlow Wood 1969 to November 1971. I had completed my training as a physiotherapist with the School of Physiotherapy at RAF Halton, (near Aylesbury Bucks) as a civilian student. I loved working at Harlow Wood, and along with my best friend in training we worked there together. I was given two childrens wards and a small mens ward, I think it was A4, later I also was given the private patients ward along side the mens ward. I treated Ian Rush the footballer when he had a knee injury and had surgery. We had a large hydrotherapy unit and I loved taking in the children after they had been on bed rest for many months for surgery for congenital hips and also bed rest for perthes disease. I had 3 girl patients who were in on bed rest in plaster jackets for scolisosi surgery. They all came in to the pool at slightly different times but fairly close. I think it was Mr Jackson who did the surgery. No boys were in for this surgery when I was there. Mr Campbell was my surgeon on the mens ward, he retired about a year after I started. He was an excellent surgeon and his surgery was always neat, and no issues. He did not do the new surgery on hips because he said he was too old to train for it as he was about to retire. However I had a patient a bank manager who had had a hip femoral osteotomy which I rehabilitated his when he was ready to come off bed rest. I also treatde a young man who had a motorcycle accident with a fractured femur and and amputation from his accident. Great days, my boss was Miss McMaine. She was strict but very kind. One day the Lord of the Manor who started the hospital initially for Children in the 1920s, came into the physio department with 12 pheasants done in a brace over his arm Every member of the department was given one including the cleaner, porter and physio assistants. I and my colleague also called Elizabeth, did not know how to pluck, my boy friend later my husband, was at Salford University so he said hand them in the coal store outside and I shall come a pluck them for you, he used to work for a butcher in Sheffield as the butchers lad. !
By Elizabeth Whelpton (30/07/2020)
I know Lynne Barker was a good friend who much later became Matron. Also Angela, whose surname I can’t remember, (sorry hun)!!!
By Kate Stevenson (03/04/2020)
I was a nurse there, my name was Kate Stevenson. Loved my time there, went to pot when I went to Northampton 😀😀😀
By Kate Comer (03/04/2020)
I was a teenage scoliosis patient during 1970. Although the dance was beyond me, I’m reminded of daily physio, which I thought was boring. I seem to remember that there was a record player in the ward and I asked the physiotherapist if we could do the exercises to music. She agreed and I commissioned my poor Dad to look for suitable “pop”. (He had a job to ask for It Miek by Desmond Dekker and the Aces…) But physio was much more fun when it became “dancing in bed”!
Comments about this page
1949 patient on Ward 2. Remember doubling up in beds for film night, Toc H entertainment, so much fun was had. The Queen Mother came to open the Portland and we all dressed up. Mr Campbell did Monday ward rounds a lovely man. The Portland lads used to come up to chat to us at night.
Spent 15 months there, met some lovely people. The pool was lovely and warm. We slept out on the veranda when the weather was settled, we were brown as berries, made the time pass quite quickly. Went home quite a bit straighter after all their efforts.
Thank you all who looked after me.
Hi, Nice picture. I was at Harlow Wood 1969 to November 1971. I had completed my training as a physiotherapist with the School of Physiotherapy at RAF Halton, (near Aylesbury Bucks) as a civilian student. I loved working at Harlow Wood, and along with my best friend in training we worked there together. I was given two childrens wards and a small mens ward, I think it was A4, later I also was given the private patients ward along side the mens ward. I treated Ian Rush the footballer when he had a knee injury and had surgery.
We had a large hydrotherapy unit and I loved taking in the children after they had been on bed rest for many months for surgery for congenital hips and also bed rest for perthes disease. I had 3 girl patients who were in on bed rest in plaster jackets for scolisosi surgery. They all came in to the pool at slightly different times but fairly close. I think it was Mr Jackson who did the surgery. No boys were in for this surgery when I was there. Mr Campbell was my surgeon on the mens ward, he retired about a year after I started. He was an excellent surgeon and his surgery was always neat, and no issues. He did not do the new surgery on hips because he said he was too old to train for it as he was about to retire. However I had a patient a bank manager who had had a hip femoral osteotomy which I rehabilitated his when he was ready to come off bed rest. I also treatde a young man who had a motorcycle accident with a fractured femur and and amputation from his accident.
Great days, my boss was Miss McMaine. She was strict but very kind. One day the Lord of the Manor who started the hospital initially for Children in the 1920s, came into the physio department with 12 pheasants done in a brace over his arm Every member of the department was given one including the cleaner, porter and physio assistants. I and my colleague also called Elizabeth, did not know how to pluck, my boy friend later my husband, was at Salford University so he said hand them in the coal store outside and I shall come a pluck them for you, he used to work for a butcher in Sheffield as the butchers lad. !
I know Lynne Barker was a good friend who much later became Matron.
Also Angela, whose surname I can’t remember, (sorry hun)!!!
I was a nurse there, my name was Kate Stevenson. Loved my time there, went to pot when I went to Northampton 😀😀😀
I was a teenage scoliosis patient during 1970. Although the dance was beyond me, I’m reminded of daily physio, which I thought was boring. I seem to remember that there was a record player in the ward and I asked the physiotherapist if we could do the exercises to music. She agreed and I commissioned my poor Dad to look for suitable “pop”. (He had a job to ask for It Miek by Desmond Dekker and the Aces…) But physio was much more fun when it became “dancing in bed”!
Add a comment about this page