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As a child of ten in 1958 I was in the old Children's Hospital. A beautiful building. I had rheumatic fever and was in Princess Mary ward for two months. I can even remember Sister Scott and Staff Nurse Lovell. After two months I was sent to a convalescent home in Kirk Hallam, Derbyshire.

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Be careful choosing your words Cliff !

I met Dr Cochrane many years after my birth, at a Nottingham Hospitals Radio do, and I slapped his backside. I considered it revenge as he did it to me in 1961.

Now there's a doctor who most of our women know Dr Cochrane? Remember having problems during pregnancy had to see Dr Cochrane at city hospital NOW DON'T LAUGH Being a young lass of 20 and never

  • 7 months later...

I was knocked over by a car on Berridge Road in about 1966. Got busted up a little and spent a week or so on the ward in the Children's hospital. Its strange how kids think. There was a coloured light system opposite my bed that used to illuminate and I thought it was the permission for parents to visit, which I wanted very much at the time. There was a little psychopath in the bed next to me who constantly commented that my parents would not ever visit because they hated me. Now, as a nurse, I realise that the lighting system was the lights for the entry to the controlled drug cabinets and that the poor chap in the bed next to me was a lonely and sad child who offloaded his despair on to me.

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I am searching for information and or photo's of the old Abe Collins Maternity Home where I was born in 1935!! :-)

It was on Mansfield Road, Nottingham. The name was later changed to The Firs Maternity Home.

I am not sure what it is used for now, or whether it is even still there.

I believe it was originally a Victorian house, and would love to see a picture of it way back when.

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This is The Firs -

http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/frontend.php?action=printdetails&keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;NTGM003461&prevUrl=

http://www.picturethepast.org.uk/frontend.php?action=printdetails&keywords=Ref_No_increment;EQUALS;NTGM003459&prevUrl=

It still exists and is now a warden-aided complex (or something similar). You can have a look around the outside courtesy of Streetview - http://goo.gl/maps/GxA54

or look at it from above http://binged.it/PdKVKx

Apparently I was born there - like you, although I don't actually remember it.

I've never heard of it previously being called the Abel Collins Maternity Home; the only Abel Collins I know of was the Alms Houses on Carrington Street.

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Anne,

I've just been searching for my Dad's birth certificate as I knew he was born in the Collins Hospital in 1921. It states place of birth as Collins Trust Maternity Hospital, Waverley Street. I was born in The Firs, in Sherwood in 1949 and when I read your post I knew it was never the same place.

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Wow..a big thank you one and all. The links you sent me are fantastic and beyond my wildest dreams to actually see where we were born all those years ago.

I have searched and searched almost all my life to find photo's and information. After my posting, it seemed within minutes you wonderful people came up with the answers I have spent years searching for. THANK YOU SO MUCH XX loveyou

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Anne, the Collins Trust Maternity Hospital was on Waverley Street, which Is near the Arboretum. I should think that was the place you were born, not The Firs building in Sherwood. Maybe the Firs became a maternity hospital when the one on Waverley Street closed down. Seems that Abel Collins was a local benefactor though, paying for a Maternity Hospital and Almshouses. Bless him!

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Looking on old maps for the time, there's nothing marked as Collins Maternity Home on Waverley Street, although there are several large buildings which could be the place. Do either of you have the number on Waverley Street to locate it accurately?

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At sometime before 1929 the Abel Collin Maternity Home did transfer to the "Sherwood Firs , Mansfield Rd.

There is this piece from the Evening Post :Monday 16 September 1929 in answers to readers questions

"The address of the former Abel Collin Maternity hospital formerly in Waverley-street is Sherwood Firs, Mansfield Rd "

In 1941 the Firs was taken over by the Nottingham Hospitals Committee as an annexe to the City Hospital and was under the charge of Dr Cockrane who's name seems to be familiar .

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Thanks for the clarification David, so Anne WAS born in the Firs, as it became. Sorry for doubting that fact Anne.

My Mum had a lot of problems in pregnancy and was under the care of Dr Cochrane on several occasions and she told me what a lovely man he was but he was very strict and told her not to smoke, advise which she ignored so she would use a pumice stone on her fingers before an appointment with him!!

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I have just found my own birth certificate and it says When and Where Born. Thirtieth July 1935 8:20pm

Collins Maternity Hospital, Mansfield Road, Nottingham.

Lizzie, my Mum too had complications with her pregnancy and I remember her telling me about Dr Cochrane.

My twin and I were born a month premature and my twin sister only lived for 2 days.

(Don't you dare tell anyone how old I am) LOL

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Now there's a doctor who most of our women know

Dr Cochrane?

Remember having problems during pregnancy had to see Dr Cochrane at city hospital NOW DON'T LAUGH

Being a young lass of 20 and never been to or in hospital before, on arriving the nurse told me to take off my cloths and

put on a gown. Dr Cochrane came into the room with some young doctor's in tow told me to take of the gown for examination

GOOD GOD THIS WOMAN IS NAKED!

he cried nobody had told me to keep on my bars and pants.

Have you ever felt so silly? Did not make this mistake again

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When I was ten years old I had to have my tonsils and adenoids sorted. I think it was the trend at that time as the Children's hospital was too busy. I ended up in Chaucer Street Clinic. I remember being wheeled in, no special kiddies trollies then. The surgeon told me to blow up a balloon he was holding (it was the ether anaesthetic). The last thing I remember was someone taking off my slippers then I woke up with a massive sore throat. As we were only in for three days, we had no visitors. It was ice cream and jellies for tea for a week after that.

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  • 1 month later...

When we moved back to Nottingham 10 years ago I joked that I was born at the Firs and might end my days there too as it's now an Old Folks Care Home! Who knows what the future may hold.

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I was born at The Firs Maternity Hospital when it was Collin's Maternity Home in 1930, now back there again in one of The Abbeyfield complex retirement bungalows

Dennis

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