worcester royal infirmary

Do you have any memories of the old Worcester Royal Infirmary?

linda Allsopp(McDiarmid)
I lived in at the wri during my training from Jan 1987 to 1990 have many happy memories of working on the orthopaedic wards and being close to town for some great nights out.Great times x

Jean Griffiths ne Duggan
My training days March 52/56 Lots of hard work ,but oh what wonderful memories sad & very happy. one memory comes to mind when i ran after Matron Heallyshouting her name , Her dress was tucked in her bloomers & she was on her way to the board room.I retired from district nursing 93 after 30 years

sandra greenhow , was whalley S.E.N
Ahhh i remember picture 11 sooo well , on nights we used to have a cat nap on the board room table in our break time !

Pauline Freeth
I DID A PRE NURSING COURSE AND SEN TRAINING AT WRI 1962/64 SPENDIND SEVERAL YRS ON BATES MED ,SR DOWNES WAS THE SR DR ALDRIDGE CONS MATRON HULME / SR BUCKINGHAM WAS HOME SR LOOKING AFTER ALL WHEN ILL. I THEN SPENT SOME EXCITING AND MEMORABLE YRS IN CASUALTY , SR DOOHAN WAS SEN SR.NURSING THEN WAS ABOUT GIVING REAL CARE AND PUTTING PATIENTS FIRST.HAVE MANY HAPPY MEMORIES FROM MY TIME AT WRI. I'M NOW RETIREING AFTER 49 YRS IN NURSING , HAVING SPENT MY EARLY DAYS IN A/E AND FINISHING IN NEONATAL CARE. IF ANYONE READING THIS REMEMBERS ME , WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.

Julia Burrows, Sherwood ,Nee Clayton
Visiting this web site makes me both happy and sad.... I remeber so many happy times there through my training, I had the the most memorable teachers I remember, Mrs. Tarrent, Mrs. Spragg, Mrs. Hardwick(I think), all fantastic role models in my life, I wonder what or where they are now? I grew up in this hospital and it has made me the person I am today, I now work on the paediatric unit at WRH, and I am enjoying that too. Progress is good and so is reflection.

Ann Cording
Started at Castle Street as a nursing cadet in the '70'Went on to do my training When I started the hospital was run by a matron, worked on most of the wards during my training. For many years I worked in the operating theatre. I am so sad to see the old hospital go. I had to live in the nurses home.I had some wonderful times,made some good friends, we worked hard had lots of tears,but oh those Dr's mess parties!!!!I still work in the operating theatre at the new hospital.

Alison M Rees
I HAD THE PLEASURE OF UNDER GOING "SRN" TRAINING WITHIN THE WORCESTER GROUP OF HOSPITALS, 1978- 1981, AT THE TIME I DID NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT GOOD STEAD THE TRAINING PUT ME IN WHEN I MOVED, TO PASTURES NEW. I HAVE MANY HAPPY- SAD- ENDEARING MOMENTS, CONNECTED TO WRI INFIRMARY, HAVING LIVED IN THE NURSES HOME, WORKED ON ALL WARDS APART FROM THE FEMALE ORTHOPEADICS.RETURNED SOME YEARS LATER TO WORK IN THE THEATRES, IT SEEMED TO HAVE UNCHANGED

jackie spragg
I was in w.r.i. sometime around 1953/54/55. I was 2 years old and i had peritonitus( burst appendix) I was operated on several times and believe i nearly died, if there are any doctors,surgeons, nurses, or patients out there who remember me I would to here from you, I was born Jacqueline Barker in 1952, and my address was in Ombersley, Worcs. I am really sad to see the old place go, every time I go past it I look up at the window which was my bedroom.

Rona Mackenzie (nee Clark)
I started my training at WRI in 1963, was a staff nurse on Bates Surgical and Bates Medical wards, before becoming Ward Sister on Wheeley Lea ward. They were wonderful times. We worked hard, had many laughs and some tears, but it gave me the chance to work with great staff and patients, and develop the values that I have today. Although I left in 1971 to marry and live away from Worcester I have kept in touch with friends through the WRI nurses league. We have a web site and nurses who trained or worked at WRI can join the league via www.wrinl.org.uk. I look forward to seeing the new building and the old elements that have been retained.

Dinah Wheatley (Cole)
I was a cadet nurse at WRI in 1961,followig on with my SRN training. I then spent 18 months in Exeter gaining my Orthopaedic Nurse Certificate before returning as Night sister, Ward Sister and laterly Orthopaedic Nurse Practitioner, retiring last year after 46 years. WRI was a great place to work,I worked with some wonderful people, we worked hard, played hard and had lots of laughs along the way.I saw many changes in practice. Both my girls were christened in the Jenny lind chapel. So Castle street holds a special place in my heart.

Dorothy Colman
I worked as a clerk in A & E from 1987 to 1990. It was my first job back in the working world after becoming a mum and really daunting. I enjoyed my 3 years there and worked with some great people.

Helen May ODP
I worked in WRI in the operating theatres. I came on duty to do a late shift and was busy preparing some lunch in the theatres kitchen. My car was parked across the road by one of the big arched viaducts and I could just see the front of it from the window. Two mins later it was gone....I thought I had not put the hand brake on properly and it had rolled backwards out of view! So dressed in theatre blues I ran across the road to an empty space....my car had just been stolen! It was found the next day by the police in Birmingham, it had been wrecked!

julie hancock
i started my nurse training there in 1979, it was a real daunting place to a young 18 year old but it turned out to be the best of times!. im looking for any one who was in the enrolled nurse training course with mrs sprague and mrs thomas at the healm.namely alison kyte, carol alder, veronica barley,etc we all broke into nursing at the infirmary , it will allways be specail to me happy memories.

Tony Ford
The name Alex Thomas is seeking is Bates Medical and Surgical. I was in Bates Medical in 1951 with lung problems, and part of the treatment was that another girl and myself had to spend the day in our beds on the balcony overlooking Pitchcroft

Dr K.N.Balakrishnan
I am 76 yrs old . In the 2ndhalf of 1956, I was house-surgeon to Mr G.H.Marshall,senior surgeon . The months I spent In WRI were most memorable . I was staying in the doctors' quarters oninfirmary-walk adjacent to the hospital . Sr DT Brown was in charge of the Wheely Lee ward . Though she seemingly had a tough exterior, she had a heart of gold . Mr Nicholas was the other surgeon & Ms Nor-ton the anaesthetist. The months I spent at WRI were most pleasant . I used to take walks along the countryside guided by the book, 'rambles & walks in Worcestershire'. During my stay there I also visited the Malvern Hills -certainly beautiful country-side indeed. Dr KN Balakrishnan (India)

Alison Townsend
I spent many hours with my daughter Hayley in the childrens ward at W R I she had a dislocated hip and spent six weeks in traction, before having surgery to fit a plate and bolt, which was removed 1yr later. The staff were great and its sad to see the old place alter, History cannot be brought back.

maria killeen
i worked at the infirmary and ronkswood from 1983 to 1986 . I too worked with the wonderful sister south on wheeley lea as a newly qualified staff nurse in 1986, and still to this day think fondly of my time there . The childrens wards were Bates medical and Bates surgical. happy days in beautiful worcester .

Alex Thomas
In 1983 when I was 9 years old, I remember waking up from 2 weeks in a coma after a nasty car accident and wondering where I was. I soon learned that I was in the children's ward at WRI, where the staff were very kind. I remember that I was soon stealing biscuits from the store room:) Once I was discharged I often went back to visit the nurses on my out patient visits. Has any one seen a big blue teddy bear. I left it there:) And can anyone remind me of the name of the children's ward. I remember that there was ***** medical and ****** surgical but have been racking my brain for years to remember the name.

Nicola Dall
I was 8 ( now 40!) when I had to go to Worcester Royal for a week as I got my foot run over outside school in Malvern. These pictures, especially those of the childrens ward bring back the memories and even the smell of being there as a small child. The pictures on the walls made it a friendly happy place.I look forward to seeing how the new development turns out.

Patricia Pope
My friend sent me this email with these pictures of WRI but I dont see any of Bonacker Ward where I worked in the 70s I also remember being an outpatient there when I was a child and the matron would get a nurse to go an fetch buns for us. As I now live in Pembrokeshire I appreciate any old Photos of Worcester as I grew up there in the 50s But they always bring a lump to my throat as I miss Worcester very much Yours Sincerely P> Pope Mrs

Rosemarie Weston
I worked in the operating theatres at the infirmary from 1990 until the close...... a sad day. We were a happy crowd and ,on the whole, worked very harmoniously together. People tended to stay in posts for a considerable time in the past, which did mean we knew one another quite well.

Nigel Humphries, Corfe Castle
In the Autumn of 1942 I was admitted as a child for emergency surgery and remember being held down by nurses so that they could knock me out with chloroform. We were on holiday from the bombing in Swanage having been caught in a bomb blast. The regime was harsh and very austere with a matron who refused to let my parents say goodbye to me because it was not visiting hours. I went to live with my aunt at Elmley Castle before returning to my beloved Dorset. I am writing a book and covering this episode at present.

Sandra Greenhow
I was a nurse at WRI CSB from 1971 for approx 20 years , the training i had was second to none , and the old infirmary and nurses home will always have a place in my heart !

jacqueline amsalem(head)
Wonderful memories of nursing in many wards particulary Whealey Lea in the days of the wonderful Sister South and nerve racking Mr William's rounds.So sad to see it in ruins.Would love to locate any former colleagues.I live in Florida now but will be home for Christmas 2006.

Carl Brighton
From looking at these photos, did you know that in the summer of 2004, WRI became "Wetherton Royal Infirmary" for an episode of BBC's Dalziel & Pascoe.(Broadcast 2005).The reason the outpatients, A&E & childrens ward are painted blue is from the filming. Colin Buchanan (Pascoe) was in the bed where my son was only 5 short years ago.the childrens ward was ITU in the programme.

marguerite dutton
i was a student nurse in 1960 and worked on the childrens ward many happy memories.matron hume ,and monica pearce. nursing was about people then not a no as it is today!!

Barbara Greenwood
I am looking for Renate Baum, who was a student there in June of 1948. She fled Nazi Germany where she was the fiance of my father, Fritz Grunwald. She stayed in England, married Reggie. He made it to USA, where he met and married my mother. I have letters Renate wrote when she was living at Nurses Home, and would like to give them to her, or her family.

John Cannon (Fareham, Hampshire)
I spent many hours in the Nurses Home Visitors Waiting Room for my late wife Patricia Anne (nee Breeze-Stringfellow of Poolbrook, Malvern) to come off duty as a Student Nurse. "The Royal" will always be remembered although, fortunately, I was never a patient!

Sue Roberts
I worked in Telecomms based at WRI from 1979 until the switchboard moved to Newtown Hospital. These were the happiest years of my life. I met my husband there and we married in the chapel. Ten years later we re-affirmed our vows there. I am sad to see it in it's dilapidated state and would welcome any use of the site as long as the listed bits are made best use of. This is where my ashes will be scattered after my death.

Revd G S Callander
I trained as a nurse at WRI in the mid-1980s and have many happy memories of my days and nights on the wards. My favourite memory is of looking out of my nurses home window each day ans seeing the stunning view of the distant Malverns in all weathers and all seasons. Sad to see the hospital go. George Stephen Callander