Heatherwood Staff Memory Lane 1970's Staff Recollections

Staff Memory Lane 1970's

Heatherwood Staff Personal Memories

Heatherwood staff recall their experiences at a dearly loved hospital during the 1970's.

Pauline Morriss (Gearing) Writes:-

I remember Sister Cahill and the Matron . Started as a cadet nurse in 1973 and then my orthopaedic training. Still working as a nurse in the private sector. Remember Kim surrey and Sue (can't remember surname )

Sent from my iPad.Pauline Morriss (Gearing )

Sue Walters Writes:-

Hello Pauline, I remember you - Sue Walters. Didn't we have fun at Heatherwood? I remember Miss Gordon the warden and Miss Thorne who was a scary Nursing Officer! Sister Burden, Sister Groves and lovely Sr Cahill. We were so young but had such fun in the nurses home and the swimming pool was glorious. I am still in touch with Jeannette Nobbs and Lynda Charlton. I was in touch with Stephanie, Tina and Barbara a few years back but not now. You were very friendly with Kim I remember. I came out of nursing in 2000 but have such happy memories of my time at Heatherwood.

Anne Easthope Writes:-

I was pointed in the direction of your website by an old friend who I have recently re-discovered after 30 yrs!!

We were Orthopaedic student nurses at Heatherwood from 1971-1973, and those of us who have managed to become re-connected all have the same wonderful memories of our time there. I certainly remember the Maternity Unit opening, and the filming of a 'Carry On' film there, much to our amusement.

Miss Esme Wadmore was the Matron there at that time, Miss Gordon the Home Warden, Sister Cahill the tutor,Ward 4 was run by Sister Burden and Sister Bernadette, and Ward 5 was Sister Painter. Mr Bell was in theatre, and we all have traumatic memories of running round the covered way with post-op patients!

Many other people are still in our memories, such as Joe (Poppa) the ODA, and Tim and Sam who worked as hospital porters.

The nursing home door locking at midnight was a constant source of annoyance, and necessitated much climbing in and out of windows and fire escapes, but I also have great memories of sitting by that beautiful outdoor pool with the dragonflies fluttering about. In the winter vitamin tabs were left in the dining room for our benefit, and the food before 'Pay as You Eat' was introduced was delicious and plentiful, - after that I remember being broke and hungry quite a lot of the time!

If anybody reads this, and remembers me (Aug/Sept 1971 set), I would love to hear from you. Anne Easthope (nee Shirley) April 2004

Yvonne Graham Write's:-

Hello

I was a student nurse at Heatherwood 1972/3 and remember Matron - Miss Wadmore with great affection. She was very strict but was like a Mum to us all. I was also very fond of Miss Gordon, the nurses' home warden, who looked after us all much the same as Matron.

Do you have any information on either of them? I would dearly like to know.

I still work as a nurse and have never forgotten the wonderful times I had at Heatherwood. our days at Heatherwood really were “the days of our lives”

Thank you so much. I do think the website is brilliant The one thing I had forgotten about was the school, but I now clearly remember youngsters from the wards going down to school on their beds, some in traction and it must have been a marvellous place, because these children did very well. I remember one young lad doing his O Levels studies at Heatherwood and passing them all.

Kindest regards

Yvonne Graham (nee Chandler) “Chan”April 2004

Chan was my nickname then - that was all I was known by!!! You know how it is when you are a teenager!!

Lynne Hambleton Write's:-

I started at Heatherwood in 1976 as a midwife but after six months I decided I wanted to go back to general nursing.
Ward 4

Did a year as a staff nurse on ward 4 then 4 years as a junior sister on ward 4 during which time I did the Orthopaedic Nursing Certificate.
Teaching
I then trained as a Nurse Teacher and came back to work in the School of Nursing which was on the ground floor of Heatherwood House. I was there until about 1986 when the School moved to Wexham.
Memories
I have many memories of Heatherwood, in the summer the beds were pushed out onto the patio behind ward 4, most of our patients were in traction.
The patients went outside along the under covered walkway, that only had a roof but no walls to theatre and it was often very cold in winter.
Patients were with us much longer, those who had hip and knee replacements two weeks and those with fractured thigh bones were often on traction for 12 weeks so we really got to know them.
Hope this helps

Lynne

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