Heatherwood Hospital 1920's

• Health of Bristol and Clifton.

  Health of Bristol and Clifton. Week Ended August 15th, 1925. Report for the 32nd week of 1925. Infectious Diseases Sanatoria (Patients Tuberculous). Heatherwood 10
  Extract Western Daily Press Bristol 20/08/1925

  Comment:-A number of districts in the UK would send patients to Heatherwood.

   

• Housemaid and Ward-maid Wanted

  Housemaid and Ward-maid wanted; salary according to experience; uniform found-Apply Matron, Heatherwood Hospital, Ascot.
  Extract Sheffield Daily Telegraph 19/01/1925

   

• British Legion Notes

  Cases of surgical tuberculosis in children up to the age of fourteen can be treated at a hospital instituted by the fund known as the Heatherwood Hospital, Ascot, Berks.
  Application in this class of case should be made to the Medical Officer of Health for the district in which the applicant resides.
  Extract Lincoln Leader 15/08/1925 & The Herald & The Leader 18/05/1925

   

• Captain Rescues Nurse

  Miss Frances Boullin. probationer nurse. aged 20 Heatherwood Hospital. Ascot.
  was rescued from drowning in Portsmouth Harbour by Ernest Chappell. a launch captain.
  She left the hospital on Wednesday afternoon to visit her parents at Kingston Hill. Surrey. and its not known how she came to be at Portsmouth.
  When pulled out of the water she was in a state of exhaustion. and was taken to Alverstoke House of Industry. where she lies in a critical condition.
  Her parents state that she had been working too hard and probably bad a lapse of memory.
  Extract The Daily News 12/03/1926

   

• United Services Fund 6th Annual Report.

  British legion notes. [BY A. KENNEDY HUNT, M.M.] (Organising Secretary, 8.W. Ares.). United Services Fund.

  The Sixth Annual Report of the United Services Fund, the Council of Management of which has an elected personnel of British Legion to the extent of 75 per cent., discloses some admirable facts, which in turn, reflect credit upon the Council of Management and the Staff of the Fund.
  Sickness and Education.
  Some 61,200 ex-Service men have received sickness grants. Over 10,500 have received convalescent treatment, and 4,300 suffering from tuberculosis have been enabled to go into sanatoria as a result of their families being maintained by the Fund during their absence from home. Over 500 have been sent to the special convalescent home for ex-Service men suffering from tuberculosis at Douglas House, Bournemouth. Over 66,700 wives, widows, and dependents have also received sickness grants. Approximately, 8,000 children of ex- Service men have been assisted under the Education Scheme, 19,700 actual grants having been made, some being termly, and some annual. 9,900 children have been provided with special medical treatment, and 15,400 have been sent for convalescent treatment. 1,450 children have been admitted to the Funds children's clearing homes and 4,000 have been boarded out with foster parents, or have been granted maintenance allowances while continuing to live at home. 950 children have been assisted to make a start in life by means of grants for apprenticeship fees, tools, etc., under the after care scheme.
  196 children have been admitted to Heatherwood Hospital set up by the Fund to deal with surgical tuberculosis.
  Extract Langport & Somerton Herald 20/02/1926

   

Queen Mary 1867-1953

• Yes. Miss" to the Queen.

  Yes. miss" to the Queen. sick boy's reply to question.
  The Queen spent an hour yesterday afternoon at Heatherwood Hospital, Ascot, with crippled children of ex-Service men. There are 150 beds in the hospital. One little lad the Queen said: "How old are you; eleven?" "Yes, Miss," the boy replied.

  The hospital was established by the United Services Fund, and the Queen was conducted round the wards by General McKinnon and Miss Bigge, a daughter of Lord Stamfordham.

  Visits were also paid to the new light treatment block and the nurses' home. Delight was expressed by the Queen when she was informed that nearly every case admitted to the hospital was cured eventually.
  Extract Westminster Gazette 30/04/1926

  Comment:-A number of newspapers carried the article including the courier,Lancashire daily Post,western gazette.
  The Queen at this time was Queen Mary who was married to George V.

  Did You Know:- This is also the year that Queen Elizabeth II was born.

   

• Head Kitchen Maid Required

  Head Kitchen Maid required; wages £35 or according to experience; uniform found.
  Also Junior Maid wages £16 Apply, Matron, Heatherwood Hospital, Ascot.
  Extract Daily Chronicle 21/05/1926 27/05/1926 & 01/07/1926

   

• Junior Maid Required

  Junior Maid required; wages £16 or according to experience; uniform found.-Apply, Matron, Heatherwood Orthopaedic Hospital, Ascot, Berks.
  Extract Daily Chronicle 09/07/1926 & Oxford Chronicle 16/07/1926

   

• Laundry Maid Required

  Laundry Maid Wanted; Age not under 18 wages according to experience. Uniform found
  Apply, Matron, Heatherwood Hospital, Ascot.
  Extract Daily Chronicle 11/11/1926

   

• The United Services Fund Schemes

  Heatherwood Hospital, Ascot.-At this hospital, which was established by the fund to deal with cases of surgical tuberculosis among the children of ex-service men and women, the demand for beds still continues. This results in many children having to wait for several months before they can be admitted, which, the Council of Management suggests, tends to point to the fact that local authorities are alive to the need that cases should be treated at as early an age as possible. The cost of maintaining the hospital was £32,107, or £3 2s. 41d. per patient per week.
  Extract Acton Gazette 04/02/1927

  Comment:- An extract from the USF seventh Annual report.

   

• British Legion Notes USF Report

  "Perhaps the most interesting is Heatherwood Hospital, Ascot, which was established for the purpose of dealing with cases of surgical tuberculosis among the children of ex service men and women. It is said that the "light treatment facilities provided at this hospital is the finest to be seen in this country During the past year eighteen doctors from various parts of the world visited Heatherwood, under the auspices of the League of Nations, and the Board of Education selected the school attached to this hospital as one to be visited by those taking the course of instruction for teachers of physically defective children."
  Extract Acton Port Talbot Gazette 11/02/1927

  Comment:- An extract from the USF seventh Annual report.

   

• British Legion Village

  Garden Fete and Industrial Exhibition.
  An "Old English Fayre," with side shows and amusements and music and dancing: a Rower show, a great national show of Angora and Chinchilla rabbits, an al fresco concert party and a fire brigade display by the Aylesford Paper Mill Brigade, as well as an exhibition of manufactures made by Preston Hall Industries, including portable buildings, fibre and leather suit cases, specimens of high class printing, and exhibits by the British Legion Poppy Factory, Heatherwood Hospital, Ascot, St. Dunstan's and Ashstead Potteries-these are some of the attractions to be seen at the British Legion Village Garden Fete and Industrial Exhibition to be held on July 22nd and 23rd, Major the Hon. J. J. Astor. M.P.. opening the event on the Friday, and General Sir Jan Hamilton, G.C.B., G.C.M.G, D.S.0., on the Saturday. (For further details see advertisement on another page).
  Extract Kent Messenger 02/07/1927

   

• Bristol's Proposed Children's Hospital

  Two snippets from articles in the Western daily press about the proposal to build a children's hospital in Bristol based on the template used at Heatherwood.

  A presentation by the Dr. J. G. Johnstone, medical superintendent of the United Services Fund Orthopaedic Hospital, Heatherwood, gave an address on "Open Air and Sunlight Treatment of Crippling Diseases. Dr. Johnstone emphasised the importance of early treatment, and with the assistance of lantern slides explained the orthopaedic treatment 5 children at Heatherwood. Cripples be said, required after-care treatment when they left hospital.
  Extract Western Daily Press 13/10/1927

   

  Sir Robert Jones's Praise.

  Land has been purchased on a site which the great child surgeon, Sir Robert Jones, has seen and has stated to be most appropriate for an open-air hospital," and working on the plans drawn out by Messrs Oatley and Lawrence, who are acting as honorary architects, an operating theatre and administrative block, to meet the requirements of a pavilion of 60 beds, will at once be put in hand. Here the most modern method of open-air and sunlight treatment will be applied, and ample room found for expansion on the lines of the Children's Hospital at Heatherwood-an open-air school lying by Ascot racecourse, and built for the benefit of Service crippled children by the United Services Fund. And at Winford there will be room enough to provide country annexes to all the great city hospitals if the need for these should arise.
  Extract Acton Port Talbot Gazette 17/10/1927

   

• Billiard Table Advert

  Billiard table 8ft x 6ft, heavy slate bed, stout turned legs, in thoroughly good condition, except requires new cloth. offers-Heatherwood Hospital, Ascot
  Extract Reading Standard 12/11/1927

  Comment:- An extract from the USF seventh Annual report.

   

• United services fund, Valuable work well maintained.

  The eighth annual reports of the United Services Fund At Heatherwood Hospital, Ascot, which contains 136 beds for surgical tuberculosis among the children of ex-Service men and women, 156 patients were admitted and 154 discharged. The cost of maintaining the hospital for the year was £25,809 or £3 11s. 9 & qtr. pence. per patient per week.
  Extract Central Somerset Gazette 23/03/1928

  Comment:- An extract from the USF eighth Annual report.

   

• Thanksgiving

  A service of thanksgiving and dedication of standards took place at St. Margaret's, Westminster, on Friday evening, and a wreath was afterwards laid upon the Unknown Warrior's Grave by Lady Haig.
  The Conference ended with a visit by delegates to Heatherfield Hospital, Ascot, where treatment is being given to ex-Servicemen's children suffering suffering from tuberculosis.
  Extract The Bucks Advertiser 11/05/1928

   

• The British Legion Bally

  H.R.H. Princess Louise has graciously consented to attend the opening of the British Legion Rally at Wanstead Flats to-day (Saturday), at 3 p.m. Her Royal Highness will be met by General Sir Ian Hamilton, G.C.B., D.S.O., and General Sir E. C. Bethune, K.C.B. There will be a guard of honour of British Legion members from the branches of the Metropolitan area, with their standards and a British Legion Band. Included in the Rally will be an exhibition demonstrating the work done by the British Legion Poppy Factory; British Legion, Preston Hall Settlement: British Legion, Cambrian Factory; Enham Village ex-Servicemen's Settlement; ex-Servicemen's painted fabrics: St. Dunstan's; Discharged Soldiers' and Sailors' workshops, Cambridge; Spero leather workers: Milton Home Industry for Naval widows and children;handicrafts from the United Services Fund Sanatorium,Heatherwood.
  Extract The Bayswater 30/06/1928

  Comment:- The indication of handicrafts at this show,does this indicate handicrafts were being made at Heatherwood for sale ?.

   

• The British Legion Nottingham

  The British Legion has a well stocked stall near the Royal Pavilion, and it is hoped the King and Queen will pay it a visit today. Captain H Slater and Mr H. Baggaley are local officers of the Legion in attendance. The stall is amply equipped with literature, artificial poppies, and other artificial flowers and emblems made by the disabled ex-servicemen, whose clever handiwork is also seen in the leather craft, wicker work, mats. painted fabrics. Cambrian tweed. There are also beautiful specimens of handwork done by the children of ex servicemen at the Heatherwood Hospital, Ascot,
  Extract Nottingham Journal 11/07/1928

   

• Head Dining Room Maid Required

  Age not under 20. Wages £26, ring. Uniform found. Apply Matron, Heatherwood Hospital, Ascot, Berks
  Extract Daily Chronicle 19/10/1928

   

• Westerham Women Legionnaires

  How they can help the suffering.
  Miss Beresford presided over a meeting of the newly-formed Women's Section of the Westerham Branch of the British Legion, held in the Drill Hall on Friday afternoon. She was supported by Mrs. Blackwood (secretary), Mrs. Wilkins (treasurer), Capt C. M. Luck, C.M.G., D.8.0. (president of the Men's branch). and Miss Stewart (area representative, central committee). A large sum of money was being devoted to domestic training for soldiers' widows, also for sending some of the poor children to the seaside during the summer. She suggested that the branch should send clothing to the Preston Hall and Heatherwood (Ascot) Hospitals, also boxes of toys for the children. Much individual work could be done in the women's section. They could make clothes for men and women who were unemployed. Working parties should be made active, and sewing commenced as soon as possible. Sewing competitions were organised by headquarters every spring, when cups and certificates were offered. Home-made produce and singing competitions were also arranged every year, and the hospitals benefited by them.
  Extract Westerham Gazette 03/11/1928

   

• Bogus Hospital Collector

  Young Girl Bound Over for Attempted Fraud.
  The story of how a young, smartly-dressed girl attempted to obtain money from various people by falsely describing herself as a collector for the Heatherwood Hospital, Ascot, was told at a special sitting of the Ascot Police Court on Wednesday before Mr. P. Crutchley (in the chair) and Sir Edward Henry. The girl was Gertrude Lovell (22), and she pleaded guilty to attempting to obtain charitable contributions by false pretences.

  George Henry Norman Barker, a commercial traveller, of London Road, Winkfield, in evidence, aid that defendant came into his shop on March 23rd and said that the matron of the Heatherwood Hospital had sent a number of nurses into the district to collect subscriptions for the new ward. He asked her for her collecting card, but she told him, she had left it at home. He told her to bring the card and he would give her a subscription. A similar story was told by Mr. Brobells, Maria de Nobriga, manageress of the Royal Foresters Hotel, Winkfield, who declined to give money until she saw the girl's credentials

  Frank Dutt, secretary of the Heatherwood Hospital, stated that the hospital never made collections. The girl was employed some years ago at the hospital as a domestic servant. Supt. Goddard stated the girl had been taken care of by Miss Evelyn Brown, of the Rescue Shelter, Russell Street, Reading. Defendant: said she was very sorry for what she had done, and the magistrates, after warning her, bound her over for two years under the care of Miss Brown.
  Extract Reading Standard 30/03/1929

   

• United Services Fund,Care of children

  Ninth Annual Report. During the year 7,192 children received convalescent treatment either wholly or partially at the expense of the Fund, at a cost of £19,911. At Heatherwood Hospital, Ascot, the Fund have a fully equipped institution of 136 beds for dealing with surgical tuberculosis among the children of Ex Service men and women. Cases of other forms crippledom are admitted to a limited extent. During the past 12 months 149 patients were admitted and the same number discharged. The total cost of maintenance, including depreciation for the year, was £23,981: 14: 11d, or net cost to the Fund was £13,609. £3: 6: 2 & half pence per patient per week.
  Extract Bucks Herald 05/04/1929

   

• United Services Fund,Lord Loch Visit to Gloucester

  National view point
  He wanted them to look at the Fund from the national point of view and try to realise what the amount of work was and how this money of theirs was spent. In the year ended September, 1928, 117,813 individual eases were helped by the Fund, at a gross cost of £426,435. Of that sum nearly £50,000 had been recovered, in the form of refunds, from various sources, such as the Ministry of Pensions, county councils, etc.

  He would not refer to the various schemes by which the Fund was administered, but there was one scheme he could not refrain from mentioning, because it was very little known throughout the country, and was one of the greatest memorials that ex-Servicemen had set up. That was the Heatherwood Hospital for Children of ex-Servicemen, at Ascot, which had been built and equipped with their money, and than which there was no finer or better equipped hospital in the land to-day. Of the crippled children who went there, the vast majority left in a condition which enabled them to become decent citizens and carry on a normal life.
  Extract Gloucester Journal 11/05/1929

   

• The British Legion Fete & Gala Wendover

  The stalls and sideshows were attractively arranged in marquees or under their own separate covers of attractive design. The following ladies and gentlemen, all closely identified with the activities of the branch, gave many hours of willing service in various directions: Confectionery, minerals and ices, Mesdames Oakley, J. Stevens, Scott, Grey and Phillips; Vegetables, flowers and plants, Messrs. H. Simmonds and H. Goodchild; Wendover Branch Disabled Men's stall (knitted goods), Mr. W. Ratcliffe: Preston Hall Home Products stall, the Heatherwood Children's Hospital stall, and the stall of the Disabled Men's Industries, Ltd.
  Extract Bucks Herald 28/06/1929

   

• Hospital as a Gift

  Hospital as a Gift.
  The United Services Fund have offered the Heatherwood Hospital at Ascot to the L.C.C., whose Health Committee recommends the acceptance of the gift.
  Extract Reynolds Illustrated News 15/12/1929

  Comment:- The first indication of the United services relinquishing its control of the hospital and passing it to a new body. The changeover didn't happen until 1934.