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England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Shropshire => Topic started by: Gwenan on Friday 11 December 20 12:16 GMT (UK)
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I was an in-patient at Aston Hall Oswestry from 1st Jan, 1951 until 28th April 1952. Is there anyone out there who was a patient or a nurse who can corroborate my story. I would love to hear from anyone who was there under Sister Mary Powell and Sister Carrie Johnston. We were very well treated there and got used to life in a long stay hospital.
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Hello Gwenan and welscome :)
This was the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Hospital that later became an orthopaedic hospital between Oswestry and Gobowen. I don't know much about it in the time frame that you mention as I was only about 5 years old but I think my aunt might have worked there as an assistant nurse by then.She retired in the l1960s. Later, I worked there as a teaching assistant during the summer holidays when I was home from university.
Much later both my father and mother had hip replacement operations there.
I'm not sure that I can help you but I confirm that it was there. If you can give some details of what you need support for, please tell :)
Gadget
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I've just checked and Aston Hall was a few miles away from the main hospital.
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Thank you for your reply. Aston Hall was an Annexe of the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital and it was for children only. I expect they moved them there during the war so that the main hospital could accomodate wounded soldiers. I was a long stay patient 70 years ago at Aston Hall and would like to be in touch with anyone else who was a patient there at that time. It was an open air hospital and we were wheeled outside for fresh air all year, unless it rained. I have written an account of my time there but would like someone else to corroborate my account.
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Gwenan,
Might the information contained in this link be helpful to you?
https://www.shropshirelive.com/features/2016/04/15/patient-memories-brought-to-life-in-new-hospital-book/
and there is also this:
https://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2014/05/09/nurses-statue-to-be-unveiled-in-oswestry-orthopaedic-hospital-celebrations/
Willyam
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Thank you so much. The book looks interesting and will certainly chase it up.
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I have tried to upload some photos of the time my mother was a nursing assistant at Aston Hall.
I think the files may be too large. She worked there till 1952, I’m not sure when she started. She had great respect for Sister Powell. The photos show beds outside and Father Christmas visiting and some of the staff who worked there. I will try to upload again when I have figured out how to reduce the file size.
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Hi Champsrun, Welcome to RootsChat. :)
Here is some help for you on how to upload a photograph:
https://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=459330.0
Trystan
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It would be wonderful to see photos of Aston Hall Champsrun. I hope you manage to upload them. Thanks. Gwenan
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Here are two photos my husband assures me are small enough to post!
They show the beds out in the snow! Patients being visited by Father Christmas and someone dressed as a Christmas angel. Sadly these photos have no information about the year, or who is on them and my Mum has no memory of names except for Sister Powell. I hope they help with your memories Gwenan. I will upload photos of staff members as soon as my husband gets them reduced in size.
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Hello Champsrun,
Welcome to Rootschat :)
I am very sorry but the files attached are showing as empty, if you look at the size they are showing as 0 kb.
Regards
Sarah
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Trying again to post pictures
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Great Pictures and they bring back memories. We were out all weathers and when our hair was washed in icy weather, it would freeze on our heads. I don't remember every feeling cold or having a cold. Thank you very much for the photos.
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Hi Gwenan, I was a patient in Aston Hall from June 1948 to June1950. I was 3 at the time and to this day I can still recall being left at the War Memorial Hospital in Wrexham and taken to the main hospital in Gobowen. I have a faint recollection of a fire at Gobowen and the children being taken to Aston Hall. Not sure of the timing but I think it was only days as the first visit from my mother was at Aston Hall.
I had Perthes in the left hip and as a consequence was on a steel frame until a month before going home. All my memories of Aston Hall are fun ones, I think there were about 20 children at the time and I know that I was the youngest(my mum told me that and also I was the one who got into the most trouble). To this day I keep clear of geese after many a time spent outside doing “solitary “ for being naughty.
I think Sister Johnson was the fun sister and Sister Powell the boss, they did a fantastic job.
I was one of the lucky ones, I made a full recovery and have led a very active life and have never forgotten Aston Hall. I was brought up in Pentre Broughton a small village outside Wrexham which was only three bus rides and a walk down the driveway for visitors, some of the children in the ward came from the south of England, I had visitors at least twice a week.
I have lived in Sydney Australia since 1973 but have visited home many times and since retiring in 2005 have managed almost one visit each year. In 2018 I went back to Aston Hall and was allowed to walk around the grounds, it was just as I remembered it.
Unfortunately I don’t have any photos of my time there, I think my mum had a big cleanup one day but I still have my happy memories.
I hope this will trigger some of yours, keep safe from COVID-19,
Regards Mike Roberts
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My uncle, Peter Vile, was a patient at Aston Hall from 1946 to 1949, and then went back regularly for further treatment and follow ups. Funnily enough he now lives in Sydney, as Michael Roberts does! He has lots of happy memories from his time there and hopes to put down some of his memories in writing for me to post here at some point in the future. I also have some photos of him there which I will dig out and try to post here.
Best wishes
Caroline Cantor