Nottingham Childrens Hospital

[Melvyn Jones 0]

Hi, did Nottingham once have a children's hospital or maternity place ? It was down a road off Mansfield road near the Forest recreation ground.

I remember visiting it with my parents a couple of times in the late 1960's or early 1970's.

Does anyone know it's old address and have an old photograph ?

It might have been called "the fir's maternity " ??

[philmayfield 5,364]

The Firs maternity was on Mansfield Rd in Sherwood, just up from Woodthorpe Park. The Childrens’ Hospital was also on Mansfield Rd but set back and was opposite the Forest and cemetery. I had my tonsils removed there many years ago.  Like so many similar places I think it’s now a Muslim girl’s boarding school.

 

[Rob.L 1,027]

The Children’s Hospital was on Berkeley Avenue, off Redcliffe Road. It later became offices for the Health Authority.

 

I never went into the hospital itself, only the nurses home. 

[Beekay 4,275]

The Children's hospital was reached along Chestnut grove off Mapperly road (I believe). Spent many an hour or four with my two sons. I do remember though as a 10/11 year old, I jumped off a wall and put my teeth through my tongue and bit it in half !! Remember being taken to Children's with a wad of cotton wool stuffed in my mouth there to have 7 stitches in my tongue without anaesthetic ! Can't remember though whether it was 4 on top and 3 on the bottom or vice versa. Also being daubed with Gentian violet all over my mouth. Still got the scar !

Another approach was up St. Andrews road, off Mansfield road opposite the forest entrance. At the end is long flight of steps which leads on to Chestnut grove.

[Cliff Ton 9,955]

There are several old threads mentioning The Firs.

 

https://nottstalgia.com/forums/topic/17007-were-you-born-at-home/?

 

https://nottstalgia.com/forums/topic/11857-nottm-born-nottm-fled/

 

https://nottstalgia.com/forums/topic/9347-nottingham-hospitals/?

 

And the answer to the original question is here.....

http://www.nottinghamhospitalshistory.co.uk/index.html

[Bilbraborn 1,594]

My son was sitting on my shoulders (he was 2 years old) when I caught his head on the blinds outside The Music Inn on Alfreton Rd. It was the year 1975. There was a lot of blood so I ran back to the car and quickly drove to the Children's hospital on Chestnut Grove. When we got to the gate there was an ambulance comi g the other way. A collision was imminent but at the moment of impact nothing happened. The ambulance had disappeared. I never did work out what happened. 

[Brew 5,007]

My daughter, can't remember how old but pre-school, woke me up in the early hours gasping , wheezing and really distressed. Within seconds grabbed out of bed, with most of the bedclothes, in the car and doing a highly illegal to  the Children Hospital. Not open, panic... hammer the doors like a maniac till we were let in and some poor sod of a doctor was called only to find said daughter chattering away quite happily, the very picture of health.  It seems  the cold, moist night air had sorted it out and I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

[MargieH 7,394]

38 minutes ago, Bilbraborn said:

My son was sitting on my shoulders (he was 2 years old) when I caught his head on the blinds outside The Music Inn on Alfreton Rd. It was the year 1975. There was a lot of blood so I ran back to the car and quickly drove to the Children's hospital on Chestnut Grove. When we got to the gate there was an ambulance comi g the other way. A collision was imminent but at the moment of impact nothing happened. The ambulance had disappeared. I never did work out what happened. 

 

Very strange.... in the grand scheme of things (or by God's grace as I would prefer to call it)  you were obviously meant to survive that night

[Beekay 4,275]

Have spent hours there with our two sons on different appointments. As they were both disabled we had to see different consultants at different times. Remember a few names, Dr. David Mellor, Mr. Fitzsimmons, Miss Rose Dawson (physio) to name but a few. It's amazing to think that a place that served me also served my children many years later. B.

[Jill Sparrow 9,575]

I seem to remember seeing a website with a lot of photos of the interior and exterior of the Children's Hospital after its closure. I was taken there a couple of times as a child: once after falling downstairs and injuring my back. Two weeks off school...yippee!  Two weeks lying on a wooden board in bed...not so good. Fortunately, no lasting damage.

[Cliff Ton 9,955]

13 hours ago, Jill Sparrow said:

I seem to remember seeing a website with a lot of photos of the interior and exterior of the Children's Hospital after its closure. 

 

Not quite after closure Jill, but did you notice these photos in my earlier link ?  http://www.nottinghamhospitalshistory.co.uk/page25.html

[Jill Sparrow 9,575]

That's a fascinating article but it wasn't what I remember seeing, CT.

 

 

 

Think it was this.

[Cliff Ton 9,955]

I hadn't seen that before, but it seems to be a compilation of photos on the History of Nottingham Hospitals Facebook Page.  

https://www.facebook.com/allforinterstest/?hc_ref=NEWSFEED&fref=nf

 

I never visited the old Children's Hospital for any reason so have no memories of it, and was surprised to see what it looked like inside. I hadn't realised it was originally built as 'Forest House' by Thomas Birkin of Lace fame. It's a pity hospitals today aren't built with plaster ceilings, wood-panelled rooms and arched windows.

[Beekay 4,275]

5 hours ago, Cliff Ton said:

 

Not quite after closure Jill, but did you notice these photos in my earlier link ?  http://www.nottinghamhospitalshistory.co.uk/page25.html

Many thanks for the history of Children's hospital CT. Seeing the pictures of the wards took me back to the days when my late son was in there. My wife and I used to spend ages when visiting him and we got involved in some of the orderlys jobs, distributing teas etc. We also used sit and talk to the other kids who never got any visitors. Once again, thanks for the jolt ! Barrie.