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Help needed - Memories of the Royal Infirmiry

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I am looking for information about the old Royal Infirmary, I know that there are some general threads but they do not tell me what I need to know.

 

I need to know if anyone remembers the Miners Welfare Block at the hospital and whether it went by any other name. I believe that it was named after my great great grandfather.

 

I am not going to name him here because it may influence the information or memories of people reading this. However, I would be very grateful for any information any one can give. I have no memory of the hospital as I was raised outside of sheffield but another of my relatives was a nurse there.

 

Also, does any one know of any good websites etc which may help me find out some more information about the layout and history of the hospital ?

 

Thank you in advance.

Try enquiring at the local studies library at the central library or pose your question on Sheffield Indexers site or Sheffield Records on Line site, or Sheffield and District Family History site.

Edited by Ms Macbeth
fixed quotes

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I worked on this ENT ward during my training- would have been 1976- have some great stories about patients sending out for fish and chips during visiting times and once mistaking the consultant for a porter!

I loved the Infirmary too- happy days!

 

I worked there in 1976 - it was a very dirty hospital - it wouldn't be allowed these days.

Edited by Daven

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We lived directly across the road from the infirmary. My grandad who was a porter got a letter of recommendation for volunteering to do something above and beyond his duties during an air raid but cant remember what it was.

I was five years old when I got ten stitches in my wrist at that hospital for being enterprising enought to put my hand through a plate glass window

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Hi. I also trainned at the Royal Hospital 1973 - 1975. Loved it - but hard work! Lots of happy memories.

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My late mother trained at the Royal Infirmary as a State Registered Nurse qualifying in 1927. She worked in the early days of the radiography department and I remember her telling me that a speciality of the hospital was the removal of metallic debris (accidents from grinding operations in the steelworks) from patients eyes by using a very powerful electromagnet. She also used to assist

in the operating theatre. The sister in charge was a Miss Smeaton, and I have a photograph of both of them in the theatre which had a marble panelled wall.

The nurses had to entertain the patients at Christmas and put on various entertainments which took place in the Outpatients Hall.

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When my late Mother was in The Royal Infirmary during the late 1940's, my Dad used to take me to see her. I am sure there was a building there which had the following inscription over the main door - 'Abandon hope all ye who enter here'. Am I right or wrong please?

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Outside one the hospitals, I think on West St, were,nt there wooden cobbles on the road originally to lessen the noise from the wheels of passing traffic ?

 

The hospital on West Street was the Royal and your second question deserves a good answer.

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When my late Mother was in The Royal Infirmary during the late 1940's, my Dad used to take me to see her. I am sure there was a building there which had the following inscription over the main door - 'Abandon hope all ye who enter here'. Am I right or wrong please?

 

If that was the correct inscription coming into an hospital it seems all wrong doesn't it? One enters such a facility with all the hope in the world that their going to correct what ails you and you are going to feel better for it. fleetwood

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Perhaps you are right. I am most likely getting mixed up, as it was probably some other building. It was such a long time ago and I was only five.

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Sorry to come to this so late, but I worked at the Royal on West Street in Cardiology from 1968 until we finally moved to the RHH. Also worked at the RI. I can confirm what others have said that the Miners Welfare Block was at the Royal Hospital not the RI. It was also referred to as Pay Block there being a small private ward on the top floor with individual rooms.

 

---------- Post added 24-10-2017 at 17:14 ----------

 

[ She also used to assist

in the operating theatre. The sister in charge was a Miss Smeaton, and I have a photograph of both of them in the theatre which had a marble panelled wall.

.

 

Although based at the Royal on West Street, I occasionally worked in Cardiac theatres at the old Infirmary. I normally did cardiac theatres at the Childrens Hospital working with the surgeon Mr Desmond Taylor and the anaesthetist, Dr Di Robertson. The first time I worked with them at the Royal Infirmary, Dr Robertson asked me what I thought of the marble walls which he referred to as 'urinal architecture'.

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I wonder if the "Dr Chesterman" is the Chesterman that one of the wings of the Northern General Hospital, or whether it's more likely that it is (Rabone) Chestermans it's named for.

 

The NGH has wings named for the Industrial "Greats" of Sheffield, such as Hadfield, Huntsman, Firth, Vickers;- hmmm...

 

Yes Mr. Chesterman was a consultant heart surgeon at the Northern General which was previously called The City General. The ward is named after him .

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