Hazels Hall Sandy
Now Apartments

Photo: Mick Gurr 2006

I arrived in Bedford in autumn 1961 on a coach from St Pancreas London. Then made my way to by local transport out to Bromham and reported to a Mr. Kershaw the Chief Male Nurse. I was made welcome and taken to my rooms. It was again comfortable and the food was good. The next day I started work on ward 9, much the same type of ward as I had previously worked at the Royal Earlswood. It was a fine place with wards scattered around and standing in pleasant grounds. The only drawback was that it was out in the country with limited transport to and from Bedford. A mini bus was provided at certain times of the day to and from Bedford to fetch and carry staff. If one missed the bus it was a long walk. My accommodation was in the hospital grounds and was very convenient for the ward I was working on.

October 1961

One day in October Mr. Kershaw called me to his office and offered me a position at a small annex of the Hospital near Sandy, I accepted
The next day I was driven out to Hazels Hall* by Mr. Kershaw. It’s about 8 miles from Bedford and a mile from Sandy and close by is the small village of Everton. The building was set in beautiful parkland and formerly the home of the Pym family. I was introduced to Mr. Grey, the charge nurse, and his staff, Mr. Basil Ivisick (staff nurse) who originated from the Ukraine, Mr. Denis Smith who lived on the estate, the cook, a Mr. Housden, who had been a far east prisoner of war, and a Mrs. Cope who did duties in the sewing room. There were 70 male patients who were all mobile but with varied disabilities. Several of those that were classified as high grade helped with different types of work around the hospital, such as the gardens and the kitchen. The nearest village was Everton and just a little further was a disused wartime airfield formerly Tempsford*. The village was very quiet with most of the population farmers or market gardeners.

Photo: Mick Gurr

My room was at the rear of the building; again a comfortable dwelling with everything I required, a bathroom just along the corridor, and downstairs a sitting room area and dining room. I had arrived on a Monday and started work on the Tuesday. There was never much nursing involved; it was more a case of supervision, instruction and tolerance.

I would never class myself as a barber, but the patients’ hair had to be cut and so it was part of our duties. Shaving and bathing supervision was all part of hospital life as well. We, the staff, dished up the meals that Mr. Housden had cooked and they were very good. Drugs were given out by the staff nurses, usually morning and evening. In our spare time we would walk the grounds and keep an eye on things. There was a gardener named Mr. Wissen who lived in the village and the produce was used in the kitchen. Some of the patients did light work assembling plastic toys. A few of the patients could be temperamental and violent but more to each other than the staff. For the most part it was going to be a quiet time in my life and a time for reflection.
The Shifts were 0600–1400, 1400–2200, and the nightshift 2200– 0600 I rotated on these times except for one thing: Nights, and I was on my own in a large country house with 70 Patients, who were there because they were disturbed people and I was responsible for them. The other two who did nights were an Irishman named Eddie and Mr. Denis Smith. Denis was a qualified nurse but Eddie, like me, was not. However we did exactly the same duties. Therefore every 3rd week I was on nights and I have no hesitation in saying it would not be allowed in today’s society, of this I am sure.

Upstairs rooms were split into dormitories with between 6 and 12 patients to each room; bedtime was at my discretion which was around 2230, except for two lookouts (patients) who were volunteers. They had an upstairs front room and kept a lookout for cars entering the driveway about ½ a mile away. They would immediately rush down to inform me of someone approaching. The deal was they could stay up until just after midnight with a radio on quietly. It was a good arrangement and it worked well. It was a rare occurrence to have visitors at night; sometimes the local police gave us a call or a visitor from Bromham Hospital would look in. It was nice to have a good early warning system in place. On nights my duty was to patrol the entire building once every hour on the hour. I had to carry a time clock with me and stamp it at various locations around the hospital. The dormitories had stamping machines at four points around the first floor so arranged that every room had to be visited. Downstairs was laid out nearly the same except that at the back of the building there was an old theatre, and corridors to the boiler house. Both had check points in them. The darkened theatre at 2am was the most ghostly place I have ever encountered. Walking across the flagstone slabs I could hear an echo throughout the area and on a windy dark night it sounded as if the Old Nick himself was snoring.

One night on my return from the theatre area at about 2am I was getting near to the front dormitories, there was the most horrendous din going on with shouting screaming and swearing. I rushed upstairs and straight into a five cornered scrap. After a few minutes I managed to restore some order. Patient A had decided to join patient B in his bed;
Patient B was having none of it and threw a few punches. In turn others who had been woken up joined in. I had not experienced this situation before. I isolated patient A, who I considered to be the offender, in a room downstairs with his blankets. Then let him return just before dawn with the early shift coming on duty.

I did not mention the incident as such; just a note in the diary that a small disturbance had taken place.

Another duty was to keep the large Aga cooking range, which was coke fired, ticking over during the night hours, making sure it was ready for the cook at breakfast time; an easy job with no problems.
The winter of 1963 was one of the coldest in memory with heavy snowfalls. We were isolated for two days but, with plenty of provisions, we were fine. I did not venture out for well over a week; nowhere to go and no transport.

Often during the early evenings if I was on duty with Mr. Grey He would tell me a little about the history of Hassles Hall or Hazels Hall, (known by both spellings). It was owned by the Pym family and had an interesting history. At that time it was still subject to the Official Secrets Act although I did not learn this until 40 years later. I was off duty at the time when there was an unexpected special visitor. Her name was Odett Hallows. (Churchill / Sanson). She amongst many others had stayed at Hazels Hall during the wartime before her flight to France. I do not at this time of writing know if the inside of Hazels Hall has been altered much therefore I can only write as best my memory serves me. After entering the front door, to the left was our nursing office. If we carry on down the corridor, a large open flight of stairs leads to the first floor and dormitories.

Then to a large open room with a large fireplace which had wooden support columns either side. This room was used for all the patients’ main meals. In wartime it was used as the briefing room. The agents waited for their names to be picked from a huge blackboard which hung above the old fireplace. It was rumored that Montgomery visited but I am unable to confirm this.

The Hall was used by many agents and personnel as stop off billet before they flew from Tempsford to secret locations all over Europe. It was also used as a store for equipment and supplies to be dropped by parachute or taken by agents to their destinations.
It is reported that over a thousand agents were flown from Tempsford between 1942 and 1945 plus twenty thousand containers and ten thousand packages.

Because we were so isolated from the villages and towns we were allowed two free trips by taxi a week into Sandy and one return a week into Bedford. The driver was a Mr. Bates of Sandy, he was always a most unhappy man, I only ever remember him by his complaining about one thing or another entire trip, sometimes the fact that he had to pick me up.

Summertime’s were nice in the gardens. I often walked around them on discovery trips. In the woods just nearby were two Victorian graves of dogs. One I remember was by the name of Kublia Kahn; Further in the woodlands rabbits could be seen and pheasants. This parkland was all part of a shoot in the winter. On some Saturdays I would go out beating for the guns. It was a full day with lunch provided plus a bottle of beer a brace of pheasants or a hare to take back to our kitchen. At home time we received five shillings wages.

Much enjoyment for me was gained in the summertime walking in the grounds. At the far side of the vegetable garden was a long grassed walk with shelters at either end. There was a grand view across the valley to the railway, the A1 trunk road and beyond. Evenings were taken up by a little office work and then watching television with the patients. Some evenings local groups of visitors would arrive to entertain us all, one such was the Salvation Army from the Potton Corps. We all enjoyed their visits; they had a good choir and band. The Captain invited me to their meetings and the first Sunday off duty I cycled over to Potton and attended their evening meeting. It was a big change to what I had been used to as a child, (which is another chapter) with happy clapping, singing, tambourines, and the band.
In spite of its position out in the country sometimes the isolation at Hassels Hall was nice and I enjoyed the country life. After a few weeks I acquired a cycle and much enjoyed cycling around the estate and the countryside. I went through the woodlands and into Potton and made good friends at The Salvation Army. They were such a friendly kind people. It was not long before I had a uniform and helped out with anything that they requested which seemed to be most things, except the band and singing. I have never been musical but always enjoyed listening and still do. A Captain Purchas was the officer in charge and amongst the local regular soldiers were Mrs. Blackshaw and her sons, the Richardson’s and Whitmore’s.
I was also friendly with the Giddings and Berringtons and their pretty daughters. We sold the War Cry around the pubs, collected money for the self denial week and other things as and when required. The New Years Eve of 1962 and 1963 stand out in my memory. Mr. Grey and Mr. Housden kindly gave me permission to use the kitchens and the cooking range. So along with Captain Purchas and another friend, Ian Almond we coked a meal for the soldiers and congregation of The Salvation Army then transported it from the hospital in containers to Potton using the Captains car and Ian’s van. We all had a very pleasant evening together.

Private Nursing
37 Goldington Road

Now a Dental Practice
Photo: Mick Gurr

It was sometime in early 1964. I received a phone call from a Mrs. Cook; she had an important matter to discuss with me. I was invited to tea on the following Sunday. The Cook family all belonged to the Bedford branch of the Salvation Army.

I attended the Sunday afternoon meeting and returned with them to their home in Ivy Road Bedford. “Would you be interested in looking after an elderly man who requires care in Bedford?” “Yes I am,” I replied. Mrs. Cook went on to explain, he was 80 years old and suffered with dementia. He was not very good on his legs, and he was temperamental. It would mean living in, and I would be provided with a flat upstairs. The address was 37 Goldington Road Bedford. By the following Tuesday Mrs. Cook had arranged an interview. I was successful, and started my new employment soon after. All the staff at Hazels Hall wished me well, and within a fortnight I was on the move again. A new experience was coming my way.

The family name was S Mr. S was a retired businessman, and it was my responsibility to look after him. The family owned a business in Thrapston, Northamptonshire they were Power Transmission Engineers. Other staffs were kept, a Mr. Thompson who was the chauffeur, and a maid Mrs. Cocking. I was responsible to Mr. S wife; she was a pleasant lady who tried her best under difficult circumstances.

Mr. S was, until I arrived on the scene, always used to getting his own way, an added problem was his family was frightened of him. He took advantage of this situation. He was disagreeable and bad tempered, often he demanded the impossible.

Due to a disagreement soon after starting my employment I became nurse and chauffer. The situation was not very satisfactory due to the fact that Mr. S insisted on sitting in the front seat so that he could direct me, which often turned out to be the wrong way, and it was always my fault. Because I understood his condition and his temperament I did my best to humor him. Mr. Thompson remained at the factory in Thrapston to maintain and drive the other cars in the fleet.
There was not much nursing involved. I administered his medication got him up in the morning, washed and shaved him, helped him with his toilet requirements, which was a very hit and miss situation.
It was not long before I met a pretty girl named Josephine Housden. Josie was the Manager of local dry cleaners. We fell in love, and soon decided to marry.. We were married on the 8th April 1965. The flat above the house was to be our home, but not for long.
Josie attended the Providence Strict Baptist Chapel in Rothsay Road Bedford. We were married on the 8th April 1965. We had no honeymoon and returned to the flat that evening. At about 1 am there was a tapping noise on our bedroom window, we were up on the first floor! Slowly I drew back the curtain; it was my Best Man Peter Smith he had climbed a rather frail drainpipe near our window, Peter wriggled through and then signaled to another friend John to join us. Josie made tea and sandwiches, and we all reminisced about the day’s events. Peter and John left by the same route, this event rounded off a good and interesting day.

Most days I stayed local, sometimes enjoying a steady walk down Bedford’s beautiful embankment by the river Great Ouse. Mr. S had a comfortable wheelchair and it
Was an easy walk to the promenade and he always objected going close to the river, he was sure I would push him in and drown him. At times he was convinced I had been hired to murder him so he often spat out his medication. He had a large car and a mascot on the bonnet depicting a racehorse with mounted jockey. He enjoyed visiting the races; when it was possible I drove him. He was always pleased to relate to me about the winning horses he had owned from time to time. Once or twice Josie drove out with us; Mr. S was quite cheeky at times. One day he told her he was, “looking up her dress, it was not doing her any harm or me any good”.
Walking was always a difficult time for Mr. S. One of the downstairs rooms had been converted into a bedroom with a toilet nearby. The bathroom was on the first floor. He was a heavy difficult man to carry, although I gave him a regular blanket bath I also carried him upstairs and downstairs so that he could enjoy a real hot soak.

Josie soon became pregnant and we were asked to leave, however soon after asking us to leave Mrs. S changed her mind and asked us to stay. We declined as Josie’s father had offered us an alternative arrangement.