Part of life at Herrison Hospital involved actively encouraging patients to interact with each other and staff, so that the hospital felt more like a community for the patients. In fact, patients who were deemed fit and able by a doctor would be given jobs within the Hospital such as working in the kitchen, laundry or on the farm. These social elements of Herrison Hospital life can be seen through some of the documents in the collection, such as a Rounder’s score book, which is clearly an encouragement to exercise and go outside but also to build bonds between patients.
Christmas was particularly a big time of celebration within Herrison Hospital and there was often an array of events put on for both patients and staff. A newspaper article in the Evening Echo from 1960 reported that half a ton of potatoes were used to feed almost 1000 patients on Christmas day! Within the records held at the archive there are also Christmas pamphlets (NG-HH/CMR/8/4) hand made by volunteers, which give information about the times and dates of events on and around Christmas. One of the biggest events of the year was the Christmas pantomime, put on by staff at the hospital and performed to both the public to raise funds, as well as a special performance to the patients of the hospital.
The Chapel at Herrison would hold two services on Christmas Day that patients and staff would be expected to attend, and afterwards, with funds from the committee, every patient in the hospital would be given a Christmas gift. An extended visiting period would be in place on the 25th allowing visitors to attend ward-based Christmas parties. Within the newspaper article from 1960 it was also claimed that male patients would be given a half pint of beer as a special treat for the holiday. Staff who were expected to work on Christmas Day would also be provided with a party held in the Nurses accommodation once festivities had concluded in the main wards.
Each year Boxing Day would have a slow start with wards providing their own entertainment until early afternoon when there would be a Christmas film showing in the hospital ballroom for patients and staff. In the following days there would be a selection of dances and New Year parties to take part in. No admissions would be taken in during this the few days around Christmas due to staff supervision of events and the low number of doctors available during the holiday.
It cannot be said that patients of Herrison Hospital had a lack of opportunity to socialise and enjoy Christmas, a great amount of effort was contributed by staff to ensure that patients, despite not being at home for Christmas, had a homely holiday season.
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You can have a look at some of the records from the Herrison collection in our display case at Dorset History Centre throughout December.
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Hospital patient records are subject to certain restrictions under the Data Protection Act. Access to records containing information less than 100 years old are restricted. For more information please visit our website.
For enquires email: archives@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk