Severalls Hospital -"now & then"

[Foxylady]

The differences between the two photos are often referred to by former Staff as the "decade of change", when Dr. Barton, the last Medical Sup't introduced many changes in an attempt to improves the quality of life for the Patients. The above was just one of the many changes.

Those are fascinating, Lb. That was quite an improvement with those partitions between the beds. They looked like sardines before...that can't have been too pleasant! Unless they wanted to chat, of course!

Cheers

 

[Lightbuoy]

Those are fascinating, Lb. That was quite an improvement with those partitions between the beds. They looked like sardines before...that can't have been too pleasant! Unless they wanted to chat, of course!

Cheers

Thanks Foxy. Chatting with a former Nurse who started in the early 1960's, she said that she could remember a lot of the changes that happened, from de-padding the seclusion rooms, to the introduction of "chemical" straightjackets. One of her saddest memories, apart from when Sevs closed, was when they contracted out the Laundry, Kitchens etc in the 1980's. She said that it was like taking away part of the Family. Severalls, I was told, was like a big Family -a sort of self-contained, self sufficient Community.

Lb

 

[Lightbuoy]

Patients enjoying a game of Cricket

December, 2005

The Cricket Ground is located to the south of the Main Hospital. The old photograph shows the south wing, to the west of the Assistant Medical Officers' Residence, still intact, before the fire earlier in 2005
The horrible "bolt-on" extensions had been built when the old photograph was taken. By the looks of the metal windows, I'm guessing these extensions were added just before or after WW2.
The roof of the Main Hall is just visible too.
Anyways, hope that you're enjoying these. More to follow at some point.

Lb

 

[UrbanX]

Absolutely fantastic LB! Keep up the great work! I'm hoping to get "Madness in it's place" next month. Any ideas where I could get this pamphlet in full? Colchester Library?

 

[Lightbuoy]

Absolutely fantastic LB! Keep up the great work! I'm hoping to get "Madness in it's place" next month. Any ideas where I could get this pamphlet in full? Colchester Library?

Hi matey. Thanks for the positive comments!

The Library is a good place to start. The actual Pamphlet / Commerative Book, was comissioned when Severalls Hospital closed, and I believe it was done by the local Health Authority. Unfortunately, there is no ISBN ref. no.

Lb

 

[miss survey]

If you want to purchase one try AbeBooks

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?sortby=3&tn=madness+in+its+place&x=52&y=12

They have 21 copies - £24.00 upto £164.00!!!!

 

[Pete]

If you want to purchase one try AbeBooks

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/SearchResults?sortby=3&tn=madness+in+its+place&x=52&y=12

They have 21 copies - £24.00 upto £164.00!!!!

Note that this is Diana Gittin's 'Madness in it's place' and not the commemorative booklet. The latter doesn't seem to be available on the net.

 

[Lightbuoy]

The Main Hall / Recreation Hall (aka Ballroom)

Winter, 2006 -Looking west towards Stage after severe fire damage

Winter, 2006 -Looking east towards Projection Booth after fire

View from Projection Booth of Main Hall demolished to make safe after fire -Summer, 2007 -looking west towards Stage

Summer, 2007 -Demolished Main Hall -looking east towards Projection Booth

Speaking with some of the former Hospital Staff, it was apparently considered one of the finest Ballrooms in the Country, with a sprung floor. During WW2, American Soldiers & Airmen would get off the train in Colchester, and would ask where the "Ballroom" was. They would all compete for dances with the Female Nurses -officially they were allowed to attend dances here to boost their morale!!!

Perhaps one of the Mods would kindly add some of their pics from when it was still standing?

 

[Foxylady]

That first original photo is fabulous, Lb. What a horrible difference, eh! The urbexer in me really likes the look of the derelict hall, but very sad at the demolition of it.

Cheers once again, m'dear, for some great now and thens.

 

[smileysal]

thats the first time ive seen the main hall in its pristine condition. seeing that picture and the derelict state and even worse, when its been demolished, just makes you want to cry.

Cheers Lb, loving seeing the place with all the original pics and all of your new ones.

Sal

 

[Pete]

Perhaps one of the Mods would kindly add some of their pics from when it was still standing?

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The last is beneath the stage.

Pete

 

[Pete]

Here's some of the images I found of the hospitl in a commemorative booklet for the hospital's 50th anniversary. Although i can place each location, I doubt i have any reliably corresponding images.
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Excuse the quality, they are from a photocopy unforunately.

Pete

 

[Lightbuoy]

That first original photo is fabulous, Lb. What a horrible difference, eh! The urbexer in me really likes the look of the derelict hall, but very sad at the demolition of it.

Cheers once again, m'dear, for some great now and thens.

Sure is a real tragedy -makes me really annoyed when such a beautiful building is allowed to be destroyed. Ironically, one of the Satellite buildings (Gamma) has been sealed up tight, boards everywhere. Seems like Security / Owners are catching on how to protect a building -built it's way too late for the Main Hall Personally, seeing the Hall in natural decay would have been far better for me. Thanks as always for your kind comments

Lb

 

[Lightbuoy]

thats the first time ive seen the main hall in its pristine condition. seeing that picture and the derelict state and even worse, when its been demolished, just makes you want to cry.

Cheers Lb, loving seeing the place with all the original pics and all of your new ones.

Sal

Ta Sal. Yeah, it's so very sad, although must be even sadder for though who were priveledged enough to see it when it was still there. Think that it was burnt down in mid 2005?

Lb

 

[Lightbuoy]

Wow, thanks for sharing those pics Pete -really fascinating
Never seen the b & w ones before. Those hairdressing contraptions look lethal! Also, nice to see the patients' faces (they are human beings just like us!) -Seen some more recent commerative booklets where the faces have been blanked out, but personally, I find this rather disturbing The door under the stage -did this connect into the Service Tunnels?

Lb

 

[Lone Explorer]

grate stuff thanks for posting

 

[MD]

nice one
it looked good back in the day
shame to see it like that now

 

[Lightbuoy]

Thanks for the comments chaps -indeed is a real shame

Lb

 

[King Al]

The old pics are great Pete, they paint a picture of a much more romantic time

 

[Pete]

Ta Sal. Yeah, it's so very sad, although must be even sadder for though who were priveledged enough to see it when it was still there. Think that it was burnt down in mid 2005?

I went to Severalls a handful of times before the fire and was fortunate to see the hall. Personally, i always knew beforehand that the hall was always at massive risk (given how many recreation halls have burned, both in use and derelict) and it was no surprise when the inevitable happened. I feel now that i had been complacent - i have only 10 photos of it, mostly either of shocking quality taken on an old film camera, or just in one direction. I'm sure i saw the hall on every visit but only bothered to take my camera out twice! That said, there must be hundreds of photos of it intact out there - almost every Severalls thread on darkplaces had at least one!
My appreciation of Severalls does make me feel it is a huge waste that it was destroyed, but part of me feels that this is what urban exploration is about - taking the opportunity to see a place at a certain point in time, and if you miss that time, things move on.
Mid 2005 is a good estimation - we arrived there mid morning on the 18th Sept 05 to see fire engines in attendance (and realising it had burned overnight) and the hall's roof structure could be seen from the new road. Decided to go somewhere else instead...

Wow, thanks for sharing those pics Pete -really fascinating
The door under the stage -did this connect into the Service tunnels?

The door in the photo was just a cupboard for props. There was (and still is, afaik) direct access to the tunnels from a small opening in the back wall below waist level. BTW the last photo has its identity cropped off - it is Alexandra ward male day room.

Pete