Jean Taylor Personal Memories
Heatherwood staff recall their experiences at a dearly loved hospital.
Jean Taylor who after discovering the web site recently, contacted us:-
Dear Secretary,
Found you whilst on the Internet and felt it would be great to make contact with you. I was born in 1929 and raised in Heatherwood, my father was William Taylor he joined the maintenance staff very shortly after the hospital was opened and was the chief engineer at the time of his death in 1957. My mother, Frances Coutts, was amongst the first trained nurses to be appointed to Heatherwood hospital when it was under the United Services Fund.
My parents married in 1925 - Mother left the hospital staff at that time (it was not p.c.,for the nursing staff to have an association with the maintenance staff - even if they were husband and wife!!).
I remember the take over by the L.C.C., the War Years, and then the nationalization of the health service. My mother returned to active nursing at Heatherwood in 1940 and remained for a further 12 years.
Father Christmas
For many years my father played the roll of Father Christmas for the hospital and I had great fun applying grease paint so the children, and quite often the staff, did not recognize him. Prior to the war he used to play cricket with the ambulant children in his off duty times.
War Time Memories
My mother Mrs. Frances Taylor (nee Coutts) S.R.N., who worked night duty on Wd. 4 throughout the War. The war saw Heatherwood hosting Toc H Christmas shows and I well remember Jack Warner, Petula Clarke and Lana Morris visiting the hospital.. I also remember the night (I think, Sept. 30th 1942) when the bomb dropped in the area by the covered way outside Wards 4 and 5. The only real damage was a large hole, earth deposited on the roof of the wards, and several of the pipes, drains and cables blown away.
Until my mother and I left Heatherwood in 1957 I kept a piece of that bomb! I also remember the night an R.A.F., bomber crashed in flames just below the nurses home - no injuries to the crew, who had baled out, or nursing staff sleeping in the nurses home. My memento of that occurrence was the letter 'J' made from a piece of the Perspex of the aircraft.
The hospital dances during the war were great occasions as were the Christmas concerts put on by the staff, troops stationed in the area were invited.
Dr Dick Ahern
Dr Dick Ahern also comes back to my mind who, during the blitz, came flying into our lounge complaining bitterly about the shrapnel that was falling out of the skies!!! I can also bring to mind Dr. H.J.Colvin who was Med. Supt., during the War. My mother and I met him, and Elizabeth his wife, again here in New Zealand in the early 1970's.
Back to Top