Kensington Hospital Remembered

On Saturday 16th May St.Brides Castle and the Holiday Property Bond
were hosts to a unique ceremony, the inveiling of a commemorative plaque recognising fifty five years of patient care that took place there from 1923 to 1978, in its role as Kensington Hospital.
From the early to late 20th century Kensington Hospital, a childrens hospital for Wales and Monmouth, specialised in the treatment and abolition of the one time dreaded disease Tuberculosis.
With litle if any remedy for Tuberculosis, for two or three decades
the main treatment was plenty of rest and fresh air. It was in 1948-9 that the children of Kensington Hospital were given hope, and eventually a new lease of life with the new wonder drug Streptimycin.
What made Kensington Hospital so unique,
was that many patients were subjected to not days and weeks of confinement, but years. Yet despite long periods away from home, thanks to a Hospital Management, and supportive team of staff, the morale of those young patients were kept high, and all received a limited education
The Commemorative Plaque Ceremony at the Castle was witnessed by the Hyell Dda NHS Trust Chairman Mr.Chris Martin, and the Mayor of Haverforwest Councillor Cheryl Hanley.Despite the achievements of the one time Kensington Hospital in Pembrokeshire, both BBC.Wales
and The Western Telegraph, apparantly considered the coverage of Murders in Pembrokeshire, more important than regonition of years
of dedication that took place during the scurge of Tuberculosis
up to its abolition in the late 50's and 60's.

KENSINGTON HOSPITAL MEMORIES BY GORDON REES

The following extracts by Vernon Scott ex correspondant of The Western Telegraph in Pembrokeshire recalls the experiences of ex patient of Kensington Hospital Gordon Rees who was a patient there from 1935 to 1947.

* * * * * * * * * * * * *
I have received a most moving and interesting letter from Mr.Gordon R ees of Leeds who spent all his childhood at the former children's hospital, Kensington
Hospital, St. Brides.
At the age of two, this Llanelli-born gentleman contracted bovine tuberculosis in his left ankle, as a result of drinking raw,unpasturised milk, and was admitted to Kensington Hospital. When he left there in 1947, he was twelve years old, but points out that lengthy stays in sanatoriums were not unusual in those pre-antibiotic days. By the time of his departure, another boy, David Evans, had been there for 17 years. Mr.Rees writes:
"Please allow me to relate a little about that time at St.Brides, because I know there are former staff and patients, still living in Pembrokeshire, who shared my years there. Those of us who were able, played cricket in the grounds during summer, including Charlie Weatherall, now of St.Ishmaels. To us kids he could hit a cricket ball harder and farther than great batsmen of the time, such as Jack Hobbs and Wally Hammond.
Charlie was already in his teens, and older than the other patients, when he came to St.Bride's. So endemic was TB in those days, I don't think there was any room for him at the adult sanatorium at Sealyham. But their loss was our gain. I have metmany fine people in my life, but Charlie is second to none."
Despite the hardship of the war,Christmas was always a colourful occasion at the hospital, recalls Mr.Rees. " There was always a large tree, with a foot-high effigy of a paratrooper on top, instead of the traditional fairy. To this day I remember the consternation of one patient, when he learned the paratrooper was to be 'demobilised'. A nurse gently told him the war was over, and the fairy would be returning to the treetop. The little lad was clearly upset, and asked tearfully "Then can we have the war back.".
" I have never forgotten the kindness shown gto us by the German prisoners of war, who all happened to be former memebers of General Rommel's Afrika Corps. They were employed in the hospital grounds. Comics of the day avidly read, depicted enemy soldiers as the most vile of human beings, but those men were kindness itself, regularly bringing us strawberries, goosberries, and other goodies from the hospital gardens.
There were many fine nurses at Kensington Hospital, none more so than a girl called Margaret, who later became Mrs. Wrench, and a well known councillor in Pembroke. She was also the Mayor of that borough. For sheer goodness I never met anyone to touch her, and we were all heartbroken, when she eventually left. The head of the nursing staff was Sister Gwen Hill, who retired to Pembroke Dock. Often after a long and exacting day, she would stay an extra hour to read us a bed time story."
"There were ", says Mr.Rees " some sad occasions at Kensington Hospital." The children who died had TB of the lungs. All of us knew the significance of the hearse coming up that long drive."

Kensington Hospital Memories

KENSINGTON HOSPITAL PATIENT/STAFF REUNION 2009

It was in 1999 that I took up the challenge of writing my childhood
memories of Kensington Hospital, and in the year 2000 I journeyed
to Haverfordwest to search the archives of the one time childrens
hospital. Having little if any success at the Records Office, I called
on an ex patient, Charlie Weatherall and his wife, an ex nurse. both
who were able to help me with my research. Whilst visiting them they
mentioned another ex nurse who would like to see me, living in the
same village St.Ishmaels, and by the end of the day, I had been put
in touch with ten ex staff. Seeing this as a golden opportunity for a
group photograph for my book, I contacted the Western Telegraph
a Pembrokeshire Paper. and arrangements were made for a group
photograph to be taken in the grounds of St.Brides Castle, the one
time Kensington Hospital. It was at this gathering, that a comment
was made by one of the ex staff 'it would be nice to have a patient/
staff reunion sometime', and with a successful couple of days in
Pembrokeshire I returned home , with that comment buzzing in my
head, and in 2002 the first ever major patient/staff Reunion took
place in May 2002, fifty years to the month since my discharge.
Imagine my surprise on the day when thirty minutes before
the Castle doors were due to be opened, whilst I was busy putting
up photographs and memorobelia , thirty ex patients and staff
arrived, and by two'o clock had increased to about one hundred
which included friends and family. One ex patient was one of the
first to be admitted in 1923 when the hospital opened, but a
majority were patients in the 30's 40's and 50's. After three hours
of meeting up with friends and colleagues at the one time hospital
we all went to the Function Centre in Haverfordwest, for a Reunion
Dinner and Dance, and ended the evening in a circle on the dance
floor singing 'AULD LAN SYNE'
The next reunion took place two years later, and as there were
a number from other parts of the country, as far as Cornwall and
Kent, it was decided to have a central venue The Fishguard Bay
Hotel, at Goodwick near Fishguard.
Over the years since 2002, the numbers attending appear to be
on the decline, as one gets older and mobility problems set in.
In 2009, the Kensington Hospital Patient/Staff Reunion is
holding a special event at St.Brides Castle, having a commemorative
Plaque placed in the Castle, as recognition, and an acknowledgement
of fifty five years of Patient Care from 1923-1978.
If having found this blog, and you are an ex patient or staff
of the one time Kensington Hospital, and would like to join us
for the occasion, please contact me David Pearce on Preston 01772
563113 for full information.