Local Knowledge Needed - Shenley Hospital

[glynis30]

Shenley hospital continued.
The patients had many other wonderful facilities. There was a full working farm, an occupatioal therapy unit, workshops, tennis courts, a cricket ground designed by WG Grace, a full sized church, a social club, a full sized concert hall with stage, a walled fruit and vegetable garden, all set in beautiful grounds.Patients used and worked in all of these areas.

There was a school of nursing and a special mother and baby unit.
The baby unit was housed in a large family sized house, and was of a very high standard. Mothers suffering from post natal depression and their babies were helped to recover there. I knew the two Sisters in Charge and can reassure anyone that the patients were very well cared for.

I will write more if anything comes to mind but I would like you to know that this was hardly a "mad place". It was, for the greater part, a sanctuary for people like us who had just been beaten by life.
Glynis

[mr top banana]

this is just a thought and may not lead to anything, but as an institute, the hospital i'm guessing would have used the same undertaker. probably had a contract with one, presumably local. It might be worth trying to locate undertakers local to the area and see if they have any records?

like i said, just a thought.

good luck

[CU]

Thanks for that, good idea. I will need to find
out what the local undertakers are called.
Cheers Mr Top Banana 

[whittenbury]

Shenley hospital continued.
The patients had many other wonderful facilities. There was a full working farm, an occupatioal therapy unit, workshops, tennis courts, a cricket ground designed by WG Grace, a full sized church, a social club, a full sized concert hall with stage, a walled fruit and vegetable garden, all set in beautiful grounds.Patients used and worked in all of these areas.

There was a school of nursing and a special mother and baby unit.
The baby unit was housed in a large family sized house, and was of a very high standard. Mothers suffering from post natal depression and their babies were helped to recover there. I knew the two Sisters in Charge and can reassure anyone that the patients were very well cared for.

I will write more if anything comes to mind but I would like you to know that this was hardly a "mad place". It was, for the greater part, a sanctuary for people like us who had just been beaten by life.
Glynis

Hi Glynis
What a wonderful insight and as my ex wife had both her G Grandmother & GG Grandmother there it is so reassuring to know they lived out a good life there.
Thank you so much
Den 

[DonnaMC]

I have just stumbled across this site and am hoping someone will be able to help me with my query. I am trying to find out all I can about my Great Grandmother who lived at Shenley as a patient from about the 1930s to the day she died on 24th December 1963. Her name was Mary Ann Cross (nee Few) but I think she was known as Annie as that is what appears on her death certificate.

I know she was committed to an infirmary around about 1910 (around about the time my Grandmother was born) but was moved to Shenley, probably about the time it first opened. My cousin and I have our own theories as to why she was in there but so far our efforts to find out anything have drawn a blank. I doubt we will ever know why she was first sent away from her family in the first instance as records no longer exist but I would be thrilled to find out anything regarding her.

Thank you in advance for any help anyone can give me.

[[Ray]]

Hi

Don't know how much help this is.

From my own experience of the patients, patients used to walk into Radlett (and other local villages)
So these (current) local Undertakers may have some relevance =

Chas A. Nethercott & Son Ltd
20, Aldenham Rd
RADLETT
WD7 8AX
Tel: 01923 852899

Treeves Funeral Service
52 Shenley Toad
BOREHAMWOOD
WD6 1DS
Tel: 0208 953 1444

Co-operative Funeral Service
60/62 Shenley Road
BOREHAMWOOD
WD6 1DS
Tel: 0208 207 1939



Ray

[CU]

Thank you so much for the information Ray.
I will try them one by one. Still no sign of my Annie,
but I will find her one day.

DonnaMc, I got my Annie records for the Record Office.
The photocopy told me when Annie went in, how old she was and
where she came from. Annie died in the hospital so it gave me details.
I think it cost me about £21. Hope that may help you

[DonnaMC]

Hello CU

Thank you for that piece of information. Yes it will help in my search because my Annie also died at the hospital. I will write to the records office and see what they can give me.

Kindest Regards
Donna

[BerkleyN]

I came across this message and am interested in finding out more about life in Shenley village when the hospital was functioning. Glynis, I couldn't work out how to message you, but would like to hear more about your experiences.

Shenley Hospital was located in the village of Shenley, Hertfordshire. My parents worked there !946- to late 70s. We lived in the village. I went to the village school and in the 1960s worked at the hospital during my college vacations.
Before I describe the hospital, I have to say that I, nor my family,ever witnessed any patient from the hospital in any state of undress. Patients were free to walk around the hospital and village if they could unless, rarely, they were under a legal restriction. Patients were accepted as part of the communityand several were local characters. At Junior school we used to play by the gate and we often talked to the patients. We did not see them as apart from us. I remember one character " Pinky". He had a sweet, round, rosy face , twinkling round eyes and a toothless round smile. He often walked past the school gate and we all said hello and waved to him and he was happy
The hospital was state of the art for the time. Large houses and villas were set in magnificent  parkland.The treatment of the wide variety of Psychiatric problems was progressive.
Many patients suffered from depression and some, whose lives had hit them too hard, had suffered breakdowns. Although some patients had serious illnessses ,such as schizophrenia, most were just like you and me with different life experiences.
The hospital had a full Symphony Orchestra, the musicians were patients, staff and staff family. I played in the orchestra  for several years. Some of the musician patients were very seriously ill yet the most wonderful musicians.
One man played the violin like a sweet bird singing. Another man would always be the first to arrive. We would enter the huge, empty concert hall to hear him playing his own soulful music on his cello. It would cut your heart in two and make you weep. He was a genius.
 We played in competitions , sometimes winning , and the hospital had a full sized concert hall where we gave concerts to patients and the general public together.
In the 60s there was a very popular "Rock and Twist" each week. The bands were all well known 60s bands and people came from all the local towns.
Huge dances and balls were held in this hall and the patients had a social club with dance floor where there were regular dances to jazz and dance music. My Dad played in these bands.
To be continued