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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Essex => Topic started by: oldcrone on Friday 09 June 06 00:19 BST (UK)
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Wondered if anyone had any info on Black Notley Hospital?
My dad died there in 1965, suffering from broncho pneumonia aged 37 - his main disease was multiple sclerosis. At the time we lived in army quarters in Colchester (dad was a Warrant Officer).
Just wondered why he ended up in Black Notley rather than a hospital in Colchester?
Cheers for any help with this!
Clara
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Hello Clara
This person's web document mentions it was an emergency hospital for service people.
http://www.atsremembered.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/simpsonPsheetpdf.pdf
Linda
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Thanks for that, Linda - explains it all :)
best wishes
Clara
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In the 1950's it was a TB hospital, I am not sure when it changed from that :-\
Kind Regards,
Frances :)
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Sorry I have probably misled you Clara.
It was a TB hospital and probably with the casualties from WW2 opened for emergencies for service personal.
This paper mentions it:
http://www.catholicdoctors.org.uk/CMQ/1947_Edition/TB_and_family_1947CMQ.htm
Linda
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Re Linda's link
I am talking from personal experience. Doctor Cohen (known to us as Dickie Cohen) saved my life, and I am not exaggerating. I was seriously ill when admitted and although I did not realise at the time, he told my parents that he could give me the drugs but not the will to survive. Dr. Cohen also said that ten years before he could not have saved me.
I spent well over a year in Black Notley Hospital (Sanatorium) at the time I was there ward 9 was the maternity ward.
The hospital also treated TB patients from Malta who arrived with a nurse who then became a member of the wards team.
Patients often went to Passmore Edwards House in Clacton for convalescence, this closed down due to lack of patients in 1956 :) and those of us not fit to go home were returned to Black Notley :(
Frances :)
PS If anyone else has memories of the 1950's I would love to hear from you, please send me a PM.
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Thanks so much, Linda and Frances, for all this extra info. :)
I can only imagine that my dad was admitted there in 1965 because he had pneumonia - if at that time it was a hospital with a particular specialty in lung disease? Obviously he had an serious underlying problem (MS), which perhaps meant that he needed specialist care. Whatever the circumstances, he died shortly after being admitted, as far as I can remember at the time (I was only 9).
Thanks again, as this has cleared up something that I've puzzled over for some time. ;)
Clara
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Hi Clara,
I live about a mile and a half from the old Black Notley Hospital. My late Dad was in there for a hip replacement in the mid 80 s. My wife also worked there for a while. Sadly the hospital was demolished about ten years ago roughly and a new housing estate built on the land. I believe the only things they left was hospital chapel and the social club hall which is still in use.
Regards
Nimrod
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Clara
Not sure if you are still interested in Black Notley Hospital, but if you are this provides information.
http://www.zendata2.talktalk.net/hospital_book.htm
When the new housing development was built on the site of the hospital most of the roads were named after the hospital wards. Furtrhermore most of the brick buildings were kept and turned into houses. In fact I live opposite The Limes which I believe was the Doctors' residence.
Mark
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Bit late after the original post but I have only just come across this thread.
I was born there May 1955 when my mother was a patient. Never really got the whole story but I was taken back to live with my father and grandparents after about three weeks. Not sure how long my mother stayed but it was months rather than weeks. She also had a relapse and had to do another spell probably in 1956 when the treatment had changed from surgery to drugs which I believe are still used today.
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I was a TB patient at Black Notley Hospital during 1958/59. I was under the care of Mr Michael Wilkinson, orthopaedic surgeon whose name is remembered in one of the roads in the housing development. Also one of the wards I was assigned to is recognised - Denton Ward. If anyone is interested in reading my memoirs together with many photos my stay there please visit the following website for further information:
http://www.stortdoc.com
Chris
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I note several mentions of Black Notley Hospital in the 1950s. If anyone has further information from a staff or patient's experience I would be grateful.
Kind regards,
Chris
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The housing estate built on the site of the old hospital has all its roads named after the hospital wards; I live on Denton Crescent.
Mark
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Hello Mark. What a coincidence - I spent nearly a year in the hospital and most of the time in Denton Ward. I am giving a talk about the hospital at the Braintree Museum on 11 February at 3:00. Can you join us?
Chris
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I shall put it in my diary
Mark
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I was in black Notley Hospital about 1960 for an appendix op It was used when the Colchester Hospitals were full I found it a lovely hospital. It was not far from the Wethersfield air base and lots of the Nurses were dating the americans there. I was in G ward which was surgical. You used to be in there for at least 10 days but they had an occupational therapy dept where you could go to make things like moccasins slippers and also a theatre which showed films in the evening They had a little I suppose electric Bus (like the milk floats) which used to call round the wards to pick us up and take us there also a church for services .The wards were very spacious and clean In fact the Nurses used to help clean the bed areas. It was an enjoyable way to spend time in Hospital. Should never have been closed
Ronnie
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From Frances
I'm late to this thread but my mother was in Black Notley with TB 1954/55 and Passmore Edwards. I'm just reading her letters to my father which describe life in BN, lots of refs to Dr Cohen. She and the other women seem to have managed to have quite a laugh, I'm finding the letters very amusing. She was on ward 2 for some of the time. I'd be interested to hear from anyone else who was in there at that time.
I am talking from personal experience. Doctor Cohen (known to us as Dickie Cohen) saved my life, and I am not exaggerating. I was seriously ill when admitted and although I did not realise at the time, he told my parents that he could give me the drugs but not the will to survive. Dr. Cohen also said that ten years before he could not have saved me.
I spent well over a year in Black Notley Hospital (Sanatorium) at the time I was there ward 9 was the maternity ward.
The hospital also treated TB patients from Malta who arrived with a nurse who then became a member of the wards team.
Patients often went to Passmore Edwards House in Clacton for convalescence, this closed down due to lack of patients in 1956 :) and those of us not fit to go home were returned to Black Notley :(
Frances :)
PS If anyone else has memories of the 1950's I would love to hear from you.
Regards
Bev
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Just yesterday I was scanning photographs of my mothers time in Black Notley and Passmore Edwards. I have twenty or so showing various people and groups. I wrote earlier that her time there was 1955 and 1956. I was born there May 55. Only one of a doctor and the name looks like Dr Paluk. I am quite prepared to share these but if someone can give me a clue at to the best way to allow more people to access them that would be appreciated.
Regards, George
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Still interested in Black Notley, doing another post so I can reply to a message (apparently you have to have 2 posts in order to reply
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On 11 February I gave a talk with slides at the Braintree Museum about my stay at Black Notley Hospital during 1958/59. One member of the audience, Ronald Ramage, a local councillor, has been trying to find out more about his parents, Robert and Doris Ramage. He told me they met at the hospital when Robert was a soldier patient during the war and Doris, whose maiden name was Silliken, was a nurse. They married.
Ronald has been trying to find out a bit more about them – both now have died. Does anyone, by chance, remember them? If so please let me know on and I will pass it on to Ronald.
I too have a number of photos from various patients - maybe we can share them on a website so we can all see them. I have a few on 'Flikr.com' and a few more on 'whatwasthere.com'.
Kind regards,
Chris Dell
Please visit my website:
www.stortdoc.com
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Hi Chris,
You can attach images to your RootsChat posts too, just click on the attach button. Here is a link with some help on how to do this.
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=459330.0
Regards
Sarah :)
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Hi Sarah - many thanks, I will give it a try!
Chris
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Attached are two group photos of patients in Black Notley although I believe one was taken at Passmore Edwards Convalescent home. My mother is in both. She done two spells in the hospital 1955 and late 1956. I have about 30 in all. Unfortunately some are too lare to post here.
Regards
George
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Hi George
Here is a photo that I took during my stay at Black Notley Hospital during 1958/59. There are many more that I will check out before uploading.
Kind regards,
Chris
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This is photograph was taken on when Dr Cohen was doing one of his ward rounds, accompanied as always by his black dog.
Kind Regards,
Frances
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This was our ward doctor who we knew as Dr Pollock. I do not know the correct spelling of his name. We were told he came from Poland, do not know if this was correct. Maybe it is the same person that George mentioned.
Kind Regards,
Frances :)
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Thanks Frances, that's so amazing to see a picture of Dr Cohen, he's mentioned a lot in the letters I'm reading at the moment which my mum wrote when she was in there.
I'll have to work out how to post some photos myself. I'm not certain if they were taken at Black Notley or Passmore Edwards
Best wishes
Bev
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Hi all,
Here is another photo I took at Black Notley Hospital in 1958/59. Patients and a staff member outside Denton Ward. I have more photos to post so watch this space!
Chris
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Here are another couple of BN photos. I try to pick the group photos as someone may recognise one of the characters. Not sure when the Christmas photo was but is either 1955 or 56. The other group shows the typical arrangement for "plenty of fresh air". My mother is sitting on the grass next to the nurse. My dad always said that whilst the patients were used to the cold he used to freeze when visiting. Just for him to visit was a days trek on a coach from London to the hospital. The A12 then used to meander through what are now villages. I see the photo of Dr Pollack from Frances. He look very much like the photo I have marked as Dr Paluk.
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Hopefully I've attached an aerial view of BN Hospital from the 1980's
MARK
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There is a friends of black notley hospital on Facebook if anyone is interested.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/122214497789731/
Mark
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I have been undecided as to post this or not...but here goes!
This was written by patients before I was admitted who I did not know. It was just handed down to new girls after they had arrived and settled in. Except for the mention of a corpse which I never did see, I found it accurate to life in Black Notley..... Tongue in cheek.
Frances
The Patients Dilemma
Our life in Black Notley is tiresome and dull
We never go nowhere
Except up the pole
It starts in the morning
and ends in the night
There is not one thing happens to make our lives bright
We sit here and worry
We cry and we fret
Its all pills and bed pans
And take what you get
The walls in the San
Are a horrible disgrace
Of good looking darlings
There just isn't a trace
You just can't do nothing
It isn't a joke
Talk about fed up
You cannot even smoke
You look out the doors
And see nothing but trees
We have such thin blankets
We near enough freeze
We look out the windows
Talk till we are hoarse
When along comes a trolley
On it a corpse
If its is not P.A.S.
It is Inah or Strep
Talk about patience
We do not have any left
It's needles and refills
Digs till we are sore
If you dare grumble
They give you some more
To laugh is a crime
To cry is a sin
The only fun we get
Is when new girls come in
It's Gastric Lavages
Cultures each week
The walls need repainting
The lavatories reek
The food always cold
The meals are a mess
Whenever we eat them
We will leave you to guess
It's Phrenics and A.P.s.
And P.P.s. galore
We would like to go to Switzerland
We can't because we are poor
But when all is said and done
Although it sounds odd
We all love Doctor Cohen
Our little tin God
Marguine is a darling
The nurses are swell
Sister works daily to get us all well
Despite all our grumbles
Troubles and woes
We all help each other
And just have a go
So it is press on regardless
Find life not bad
Just laugh it off
When life gets too sad
It is not a bit easy
In fact it is tough
To hide all our feelings
When the going gets rough
So for once in my life
I am going to be nice
And give all people
Some friendly advice
If you want to be happy
Just take it from me
Look after your lungs
Do not get TB