Sydenham's Children's Hospital

[Pally]

Any idea why it was knocked down?

Children's care was moved to Lewisham hospital ... Building therefore empty and prime position for developing;! Great pity old building wasn't converted, inside was full of character!

[Eagle]

Yes amazing building . Now Kwik Fit and Care Home.

I spent many weeks there in 08 with Polio. Long time ago but seem to recall excellent place.

Not sure from memory how easy it would have been to convert to new use.

Surely the Peartree is quite a nice building as care homes go.

[Pally]

It wasn't on Kwik Fit and care home site. It was on the corner of champion road opposite home park

[Eagle]

sorry wrong again


Please remind me what was on the care home site and kwik fit?

[donthedec]

hi
i was in sydenham childrens hospital think it was in 1966
i was the first child from elliot bank school to get knocked down on the rd
it was at sydenham hill end off kirkdale.
don button

[Pally]

I can't remember what was on Kwok fit and care home site .I..there was a secondhand furniture and old fireplace yard somewhere around there I think

[Eagle]

Pally

Yes lovely old second hand shop run by Mr Hillier. Passed away about 15 odd years ago . Thought this is bit further down opposite Home Park.

[Pally]

Yes there was one down opposite home park ...and also one around Kwik fit site which was more scrap yardy and sold old fireplaces as well as old garden stuff

[Beryl]

I just found this site today, saw the photo of the hospital with the verandahs/balconies and my mind was taken back over 60 years! As a 5 year old, I remember getting off the bus, with my mother, to attend the first of many outpatient appointments and gazing up at those balconies. Someone mentioned the park, and it was on that side of the road we waited for the homeward bus. Over the next couple of years, I was an inpatient on three occasions, being nursed on Marie Louise Ward. I particularly remember one of the nurses who was very kind and probably one of the more mature staff members. I think she was Nurse Giles. Other memories include, having to remove hairgrips before pressing my nose up against the X-ray plate for chest X-rays, the hall where we sat and waited our turn in the outpatient dept., seeing the "Specialist" doctor, being in the anaesthetic room, lots of jelly and ice cream and mini jam Swiss roll cakes.

[mjweedon]

Hi there,

I was a patient in Sydenham and stayed in Stone Ward with Sister Gallaway (I always called her Sister Sallaway).
I think her name was Carol but not sure. She looked after me when I was in for Diabetes related issues and other stuff. She worked with Sister Putney also. I had/have a twin brother who also had Diabetes and would have been about seven or eight years old. Probably between 1974 and 1982. Sister Gallaway was always so kind to me and my brother and my parents. I'd love to hear she is ok after 40 years. Any info on her would be so nice to hear.

[trevjh]

My uncle Charles died at the Hospital for Sick Children in 1906 aged just 14 months from muco-Enteritis. He was my father`s twin brother and lived in Beckenham. Has anybody got any ancestors who worked there at this time.

[alywin]

I stayed at the hospital for a while when I was having my thumb operated on - must have been around 1968. I don't remember a lot about it, except that I think they must have been trying to give me some sort of pre-med prior to my op, but it wasn't taking effect, the nurses said because I'd got too familiarised with the ward. They moved me to a new ward, and I must have fallen asleep! I'm not sure why I was in there for so long prior to the operation - which would probably be done as day surgery these days.

I do remember that the balconies were sun-rooms, and that there was a view over this *really* big park. I know that when I moved to Sydenham and finally twigged where the site had been I couldn't believe it, because Home Park didn't look anything like big enough I know it seemed an awful long way away from our home in Bromley (probably wasn't - we probably took the train to Penge East and then got the 194, or its predecessor). Oh, and wasn't the exterior paintwork a dark green?