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My wife Julia Bennett(nee-spooner ) worked in medical records .The manager was a Mr Scott .She remembers the names of many people who worked there .later she moved to the new hospital building.I used to walk up from my work at Viners to meet her then walk all the way together up to Crooks where we lived

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In january 1973,i had my first experience of hospital life !! i suffered a broken fema playing football.I spent just over 3 months in the royal,stuck in the same bed surrounded by traction ,leg raised in a metal caliper with weights on the end.I had just turned 17 at the time so i struggled at first with being confined to that bed.All the staff were amazing,so friendly and caring.I remember a young trainee nurse,she had ginger hair and used to massage my foot with cream because the skin was cracking and became sore,she also washed my hair as well.It was sad a couple of years later to see the royal hospital being demolished.

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my wife Marie,was one of the first people to have a kidney transplant there from a live donor,her sister Margaret,Mr Fox was the surgeon,it turned out to be one of the longest lasting transplant.she had it in 1974 and it lasted until 2014.at the time it made the front pages of several newspapers.

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I remember when it closed down and I had visions of buying the land, pulling it down and making it into a pub (ranch type thing) where I would have horses tied up outside for people to have a ride. It would have swing doors like a saloon.

 

I was 20 years old!!! I've never understood it either

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Hello pbower. I do remember the royal hospital. I visited nearly every day until january 1974. I:)n september 1973 they saved my husbands life, along with mine and my unborn baby. I cannot thank you enough for everything that was done for us beyond that as well. Do you remember the 2 x domestics? I think one may have been called susan. They both used to walk round the hospital with the pram so that i could sit with my husband. I also have a claim to fame which im sure you will know about. Please get in touch. I have so much to share with you.

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Hi Wensley1,

I'm afraid I don't remember your domestics. I didnt work permanently at the Royal until 1975 when I qualified and worked there until it closed in 1978. I worked nights for that length of time too. They were good times though but dam hard work:|

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Gosh, happy days! I started at the Royal in April of 1968 in what in those days was just plain old ECG. Finally retired from the RHH Cardiology in 2006 after 38 years. Very happy memories of the 10 years at the Royal (think it was 78 the RHH opened the wards and the Royal closed). Was it Bert who manned the little office at the main West Street entrance? Remember Frank and Percy who used to trundle their trolley around with the post? Some of the girls from the department used to hide their trolley when they weren't around. They always took it in good part. They made the move to the RHH.

 

We worked for Dr.Gumpert (senior) not his son who became a Neuro Consultant. Prof Sir Charles Stuart-Harris. Dr. Jerry Daly, Dr Derek Cullen, Mr Williams, Mr Fox, Maggie Platts, Dr Charles Davies. Gosh there were others but the names escape me. No doubt someone can fill in some more names.

 

As has been said there was a lovely family atmosphere which largely disappeared when we moved 'up the road'. There was great excitement making the move and strange walking around the finally empty Royal. I recall that on 'moving day' there was one very poorly patient in the Renal Unit (used to block the end of the first floor corridor near Keeling Ward). They put off moving them until they had no option but I believe very sadly that they didn't survive. Everyone was firmly of the opinion that they wouldn't have survived anyway but it was ,to say the least, very unfortunate timing for all concerned.

 

 

I digress slightly from the main topic, but the RHH was the only hospital I ever worked in where if you asked a patient where they lived, often they could point out of the window and show you whereabouts they were from. Certainly had better views than the old Royal assuming you forget about Fulwood Annex!

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Hi shefflich. My late husband and i were both admitted to the old royal on 6 sept 1973 following a road accident. I was 8 months pregnant at the time and had a fractured skull! I woke up on a men's ward surrounded by about 6 male patients who were all hoping to see the baby born. I was only there for a few days but my husband was in over christmas and met santa. Everyone was so kind to us. I can never thank them enough. Incidentally fhe baby is 45 now and has 2 x little girls of her own. I could go on forever but I won't.

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Hi Wensley1. Sorry you both ended up there in those circumstances but glad it turned out Ok in the end. It was very unusual to have both sexes on a ward in those days and I can't recall seeing it happen at the RH. They must have been pushed for beds! I can just imagine the excitement!! The male wards I remember were Bernard Wake, May Ward, Edgar Allan and Arthur Jackson. I was going to list Pye Smith but on reflection think that was female. Each of these wards had four small side wards, 2 each side at the ward entrance. Possibly you were in one of those? There were other wards over in what was known as Pay Block because of a few private rooms on the top floor. That block was served by a lift manned by a rather grumpy chap who I think was called Joe. Don't think I ever saw him smile but then his life must have been full of ups and downs. (sorry). Christmas was always a jolly time with all the wards decorating for the event. Lots of lights and cotton wool snow which H&S eventually put an end to, not to mention inappropriate use of NHS funds. Ah well!

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Hopefully 3rd time lucky. Keep responding but keep losing. Here goes again.

 

I can remember going down a dim corridor one night on my way to the back door on my way home (we lived on broomhall flats) when a large group of nurses were in a procession carrying lanterns and singing Christmas carols. It was so moving i can tell you. I often think of those times. Some good and some bad, mostly good.

 

My husband was in a side ward over christmas and the medics used to store their illicit booze under his bed!! One of the drs was called dr barley and for a laugh my husband told another patient he was called dr lemon and he believed it. Oh what fun.

 

More anecdotes to come when I remember them. TTFN

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I was in the Royal when I was about 9 to get my cross eye fixed.

 

It worked out well, and I never "looked" back :) Never wore glasses again until I got old.

 

I was in the men's ward in the new section, and I remember the nurses applying leaches to patient's heads to reduce bleeding and swelling after operations.

 

In the ward was a fish aquarium where they kept the little buggers alive. Ugh!

 

We've come a long way!

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I think right up to it closing, Lodge Moor Hospital Pharmacy had a small tank of leaches on their reception counter.

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