Hartford Hall Grey Lady

[Malcolm]

Hello All,

Back in the mid 1980's I had the a nasty back injury and was scheduled to go to Hartford Hall as an outpatient for physio therapy.

 

Suddenly a residential spot became available so I was there full time, except for weekends, for several weeks.

It was a facility for injured miners and police as well as the NHS and had a small mine to help the miners recover and get back to work. I never saw it myself but believe it was a small drift mine on the grounds.

Anyway,  miners and police being characters, there was the almost compulsory story of the Grey Lady who would moan and groan in the 3rd floor domed room and haunt the corridors and in particular the first floor west wing rooms at night.  There were the usual pranks with sheets and things so I thought it was just a big joke until one Thursday night I was woken up by someone shaking my shoulder, but when I opened my eyes no one was there.  I waited over an hour before I could go back to sleep and there was definitely no one there and all the others in the room were fast asleep.

Every week there was sort of a party for the residence/patients and on my last day one of the outpatient miners told me he was surprised I had lasted in "that bed".  He had been in it but when the Grey Lady had woken him up by shaking his shoulder so he would not go back and went outpatient, which is why I had been suddenly given the bed.

He described exactly what had happened to me.  But I had told no one out fear I was being wound up by the other patients and when I told him it had also happened to me he was very sincere in his reaction and told me of the Grey Lady who had thrown herself out of the 3rd floor domed room window to her death. 

Before I left I went up to the third floor domed room, strangely the entire third floor was vacant.  In the room, despite the radiators being too hot to touch, there was an icy feel to the room.

I have often wondered about the Grey Lady but never found out anything about her.

 

If anyone could give me some information on her I would be grateful

 

Thanks

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

@Malcolm - The Grey Lady does get a couple of mentions within this group but I can't remember ever seeing any comment that referenced any documents on that lady. 

The name is mentioned,  in a topic by @johndawsonjune1955 - The Ploughman And The Flowers - by @John White (back in 2013) but no stories or references added.

In 2012 Keith Lockey started a topic - Hartford Hall History - and @mercuryg mentions The Grey lady but again no references to any documents of stories

There is a couple of photos showing 'The Physio Lady' :- 

[Malcolm]

I Remember Joyce Miller.

[Jammy]

 I was in Hartford Hall in 1972 but wasn't a pitman.

Joyce Miller, a physio, was married to a German at one time and was called Muller but changed her name but not sure if it was by deed poll.

Jimmy Luke was there and head physio.

Mrs Mack (Jill?) from Gosforth, I believe, was also there as a physio.

Ollie lived in the gate house and now lives in Newbiggin, so I understand. He was an ex military training instructor and was like a greyhound in training. A very, very fit physio.

There was a dark haired lass who lived in the garage/shop on Shields Road so not far away. Also a physio. I used to go to the shop on a bike when I was shop laddie in advanced legs to seek the bacon sarnies, etc., for the morning break. It was exercise also for the 2 cartilages, one from each knee at the same time I had removed by Mr. Dineto in Ashington hospital and spent 11 days on ward 4 which was Thelma Keelysides ward. I was like a penguin when I first went in.

 I remember the first morning at the Hall. I was dropped off by my father and hobbled into the main doors. A lot were using sticks and as they entered Jimmy Luke took them away. They were like fish out of water.  I couldn't help laughing.  

 There was a groundsman who played a lot of squash or badminton for the county or perhaps at a higher level. I remember seeing him at the Stn coop later last year. He was living in Bower Grange at the time. The name that comes to mind is Dom but I may be wrong. He had a thick black tash.

 There were stories of the grey lady when I was a resident for 8 weeks with weekend breaks at home. I don't believe in ghosts and never had any 'moments' while in bed or at any other time. Some residents did believe the stories. Some went day release after the compulsory 1 week stay for assessment. 

 Hartford Hall was a wonderful place to get fit and the crack was great. With 6.25hrs exercise a day and use of any of the equipment if fit enough to use it with physio's to make sure it was used correctly. The communal hot bath at the end of the day eased the aches and pains. I left fitter than I had ever been in my life. It's a shame it isn't there now for recovering people. Much better than 3 x 1hr exercise sessions at a hospital each week. 

 There was a pit strike at the time I was in so there were quite a few pitmen in with bett knees. They didn't want to leave because they would have very little or no money coming in but got injury(?) money because they were on the sick while there. Each week consultants would call to check their patients to see if they were fit enough to leave. I saw many wet towels slapping the bett knees to swell them up before seeing the relevant consultants in the hope they would get another week there. One day Ollie said everyone in advance legs is going for a run around the hall. On the home stretch Ollie said last person to finish buys me a pint. All that could, put on a spurt to the finish line which was being watched by the consultants from a window who made a list of all that were fit. There was a big clear out the next day!

Happy days.

 

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

@Jammy - but was the Grey Lady 👤 a physio?

I never spent any time there I just remember Paddy (Bob Patterson from Tomlea Avenue) telling me that when he was a temporary resident getting physio they used to scale the perimeter wall on a Friday evening and catch the bus to the Red Lion for a couple of pints.🙂

[Jammy]

@Jammy - but was the Grey Lady 👤 a physio?

 A good question that I cannot answer. I don't think any of the female physio's were old enough unless they could change their appearance for daytime use!

 Residents could leave the hall every evening after tea but had to be back by 9.30. Our choice for brown hydration was Guide Post club on a thursday evening. It was easy to get to using the United bus outside the hall to the doors of the club for opening time at 6.00 with the reverse journey reaching the hall at 9.25 for lights out at 10 if I remember correctly. Everyone went home on a friday after tea.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

14 hours ago, Jammy said:

 Residents could leave the hall every evening after tea but had to be back by 9.30. Our choice for brown hydration was Guide Post club on a thursday evening. It was easy to get to using the United bus outside the hall to the doors of the club for opening time at 6.00 with the reverse journey reaching the hall at 9.25 for lights out at 10 if I remember correctly. Everyone went home on a friday after tea.

Don't think any of us ever knew when Paddy was telling the truth or just pulling our legs😂

[Proud_ginge]

On 13/04/2021 at 21:05, Jammy said:

There was a groundsman who played a lot of squash or badminton for the county or perhaps at a higher level. I remember seeing him at the Stn coop later last year. He was living in Bower Grange at the time. The name that comes to mind is Dom but I may be wrong. He had a thick black tash.

That is my Dad! He is called Ray Chaytor and was gardener/ head gardener there for over 50 years. Badminton was his game, he and my brother Paul were great players in their day. 

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

@Malcolm - I posted on the Bygone Bedlington Facebook group asking if anyone had heard the story  :- 

Added a compilation of photos of Hartford Hall :- 

Some of the replies :-

 

Michael McColgan

During my childhood it was often spoke about around camp fires etc. She was allegedly spotted floating above the river and would then disappear up into the grounds of the hall. Also sightings of her in the corridors of the old hall.

Chris Davies

Apparently she is waiting for her partner to return but he was lost at sea. That’s the story I heard when I was younger.

Dom Burns

We used to camp in the barns. Mind we probably scared the grey lady off

Tracey Temple

I grew up there, was always told it was the daughter of the house who threw herself out of the window underneath the dome as was not allowed to be with one of the workers. Stable boy was usually mentioned but it varied. We never saw her, but there were some who were so frightened they discharged themselves from the care rather than stay in overnight!

Angela Arkle Bell

Yes I remember rumours about the top window and the grey lady falling from it. I got married there in 1992 and stood at that window and suddenly thought I bet all the motorists think it’s the ghost if they looked up. Great memories x

Sidney Armitage

Couldn't wait to get out of there my bedroom had fire escape nearby and when the lads came back late tap tap I was only 17 so was a bit jealous.

Wendy Reed

Tracey Temple! You told me you'd seen The Grey Lady sitting on the back of your Paul's motorbike when he was going up the drive one night You little fibber 

                        

                       Tracey Temple

                                          maybe the trauma of it all has eroded my memory!!

• Michael McColgan

  During my childhood it was often spoke about around camp fires etc. She was allegedly spotted floating above the river and would then disappear up into the grounds of the hall. Also sightings of her in the corridors of the old hall.

  Chris Davies

   
• Apparently she is waiting for her partner to return but he was lost at sea. That’s the story I heard when I was younger.

  Kevin Leonard

  My Dad (Joe) had a couple of stays for physiotherapy there and I remember him mentioning the Grey Lady but don’t recall the full story.

  Lisa Jenkinson

  My dad slept in the haunted bedroom he says she never woke him up

Edited April 15, 2021 by Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

On 12/04/2021 at 19:14, Malcolm said:

If anyone could give me some information on her I would be grateful

 

Anther comment on the Bygone Bedlington group :-

 

Sarah Cochrane

My Mam worked as a domestic at the hall. While I was studying A level art she got permission for me to sit in one of the top rooms to draw the view. Whilst looking out at the amazing view from up there I got a birds eye view of patients having a sly cigarette or taking short cuts when they should have been walking full circuits around the hall  after a while some grown men started sqealing and pointing to something. I didn't know what all the fuss was about until these said men burst through the door and into the room that I was in. They thought that I was a ghost and I was asked to leave early for causing distress to the patients  still makes me laugh now.

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

@Malcolm - as expected no links to any documentation on The Grey Lady - just stories past down through the generations.

You could look for the lady yourself - buy a flat in the hall or a house on the estate :-

 One last comment from someone living there now :-

 

Sue Jensen

We’ve lived there since the conversion 18 yrs ago. (In the servants wing) Builders working on it said they had experiences of things happening. I have occasionally felt like a human sized draft passing me but never been scared. May just be my imagination 

[ShaunL]

On 13/04/2021 at 21:05, Jammy said:

 I was in Hartford Hall in 1972 but wasn't a pitman.

Joyce Miller, a physio, was married to a German at one time and was called Muller but changed her name but not sure if it was by deed poll.

Jimmy Luke was there and head physio.

Mrs Mack (Jill?) from Gosforth, I believe, was also there as a physio.

Ollie lived in the gate house and now lives in Newbiggin, so I understand. He was an ex military training instructor and was like a greyhound in training. A very, very fit physio.

There was a dark haired lass who lived in the garage/shop on Shields Road so not far away. Also a physio. I used to go to the shop on a bike when I was shop laddie in advanced legs to seek the bacon sarnies, etc., for the morning break. It was exercise also for the 2 cartilages, one from each knee at the same time I had removed by Mr. Dineto in Ashington hospital and spent 11 days on ward 4 which was Thelma Keelysides ward. I was like a penguin when I first went in.

 I remember the first morning at the Hall. I was dropped off by my father and hobbled into the main doors. A lot were using sticks and as they entered Jimmy Luke took them away. They were like fish out of water.  I couldn't help laughing.  

 There was a groundsman who played a lot of squash or badminton for the county or perhaps at a higher level. I remember seeing him at the Stn coop later last year. He was living in Bower Grange at the time. The name that comes to mind is Dom but I may be wrong. He had a thick black tash.

 There were stories of the grey lady when I was a resident for 8 weeks with weekend breaks at home. I don't believe in ghosts and never had any 'moments' while in bed or at any other time. Some residents did believe the stories. Some went day release after the compulsory 1 week stay for assessment. 

 Hartford Hall was a wonderful place to get fit and the crack was great. With 6.25hrs exercise a day and use of any of the equipment if fit enough to use it with physio's to make sure it was used correctly. The communal hot bath at the end of the day eased the aches and pains. I left fitter than I had ever been in my life. It's a shame it isn't there now for recovering people. Much better than 3 x 1hr exercise sessions at a hospital each week. 

 There was a pit strike at the time I was in so there were quite a few pitmen in with bett knees. They didn't want to leave because they would have very little or no money coming in but got injury(?) money because they were on the sick while there. Each week consultants would call to check their patients to see if they were fit enough to leave. I saw many wet towels slapping the bett knees to swell them up before seeing the relevant consultants in the hope they would get another week there. One day Ollie said everyone in advance legs is going for a run around the hall. On the home stretch Ollie said last person to finish buys me a pint. All that could, put on a spurt to the finish line which was being watched by the consultants from a window who made a list of all that were fit. There was a big clear out the next day!

Happy days.

 

Hello Jammy, I've never been a Bedlington resident and just came across your site by accident today.

I am however, Jimmy Luke's son. My Dad was indeed an ex-military PT instructor who studied to become a physio after the war. Dad would sometimes take me to work with him at Hartford Hall during school holidays (in the early 70's). I'd play badminton and volleyball with the patients in the gym.

Dad also met my Mam (Lorna Shiel at the time) at Hartford. She was working at Tynedale Poultry Farm just across the road in the late 50's.

Dad wangled it so that we could visit the grounds in the summer on a Sunday when there was no staff there. Me and my cousins would have the whole grounds to ourselves, it was like a little paradise to us compared to our little council house in Benton. I learned to play tennis on the gravel court, picnic by the bowling green, walks down to the river.

Happy, happy days.

Here's a pic of Mam and Dad, at the hatchery I think. Dad in his work track suit..

and I found this old newspaper clipping of Mam at the hatchery..

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

5 hours ago, ShaunL said:

Hello Jammy, I've never been a Bedlington resident and just came across your site by accident today.

 

@ShaunLI haven't seen a comment from @Jammy for a while so I checked (by clicking on the members ID Tag) and his profile has the '8th April 2020' as the last time he logged onto this group. I've 'Tagged' him by preceding his name tag with an'@' but I don't know if he has his account set to received a notification when Tagged.

[ShaunL]

5 minutes ago, Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) said:

@ShaunLI haven't seen a comment from @Jammy for a while so I checked (by clicking on the members ID Tag) and his profile has the '8th April 2020' as the last time he logged onto this group. I've 'Tagged' him by preceding his name tag with an'@' but I don't know if he has his account set to received a notification when Tagged.

Thanks @Alan Edgar (Eggy1948) . I think his activity suggests he posted on 3rd December 2021. It was nice to hear that someone remembered Dad at Hartford. Particularly his comment..

On 13/04/2021 at 21:05, Jammy said:

I was dropped off by my father and hobbled into the main doors. A lot were using sticks and as they entered Jimmy Luke took them away. They were like fish out of water.  I couldn't help laughing.  

..sounds exactly like him 🤣

[Alan Edgar (Eggy1948)]

@ShaunL - your right Shaun - it's me reading the profile wrong🤦‍♂️ - 14th April 2020 was when Jammy joined the group.

[David Cope]

@ShaunL Hi Shaun. Like you, I've come across this site by accident. I was a seafarer, and studied at South Shields. In 1974 I was parachuting at Usworth (before Nissan goth there) and managed to break my leg. After surgery at Sunderland Orthopaedic Hospital, part of my recovery programme was a spell at Hartford Hall. At the time I lived in Cramlington New Town, but was still admitted as a residential patient. I think it was your Dad at the time who had a VW Beetle, and was having trouble with his carburettor. One or two of us fancied ourselves as amateur mechanics, and spent a happy afternoon diagnosing and fixing the problem for him.

I remember Joyce Miller very well: I was once invited round to her house for dinner, and gave her a Bohemia cut crystal fruit bowl and water jug in return (cheap as chips in Poland, and I had a house full). Very down to earth, and loved a good chat. She was a bit of a match-maker, though. One of the other residents was in for treatment for a broken neck, and somehow he managed to slip on a walk down to the river, and broke his wrist. He had a yellow Triumph Sprite, which he asked me to look after, since he couldn't drive. One of the junior physios was a lovely Canadian girl. I was 27 and single, so Joyce tried to fix me up with her by telling me to take her home one evening. Being naive, I assumed she only wanted the lift home for a chance ride in the sports car, so dropped her off like the gallant gentleman I was, and drove back to the hall. The next day Joyce gave me a right going over for not asking her out. Those were the days!

For my sins, I ended up doing a second spell at the hall in 1975, after a further operation, and this time it all worked out OK, so I have some happy memories of that place.

[ShaunL]

13 hours ago, David Cope said:

@ShaunL Hi Shaun. Like you, I've come across this site by accident. I was a seafarer, and studied at South Shields. In 1974 I was parachuting at Usworth (before Nissan goth there) and managed to break my leg. After surgery at Sunderland Orthopaedic Hospital, part of my recovery programme was a spell at Hartford Hall. At the time I lived in Cramlington New Town, but was still admitted as a residential patient. I think it was your Dad at the time who had a VW Beetle, and was having trouble with his carburettor. One or two of us fancied ourselves as amateur mechanics, and spent a happy afternoon diagnosing and fixing the problem for him.

I remember Joyce Miller very well: I was once invited round to her house for dinner, and gave her a Bohemia cut crystal fruit bowl and water jug in return (cheap as chips in Poland, and I had a house full). Very down to earth, and loved a good chat. She was a bit of a match-maker, though. One of the other residents was in for treatment for a broken neck, and somehow he managed to slip on a walk down to the river, and broke his wrist. He had a yellow Triumph Sprite, which he asked me to look after, since he couldn't drive. One of the junior physios was a lovely Canadian girl. I was 27 and single, so Joyce tried to fix me up with her by telling me to take her home one evening. Being naive, I assumed she only wanted the lift home for a chance ride in the sports car, so dropped her off like the gallant gentleman I was, and drove back to the hall. The next day Joyce gave me a right going over for not asking her out. Those were the days!

For my sins, I ended up doing a second spell at the hall in 1975, after a further operation, and this time it all worked out OK, so I have some happy memories of that place.

Hi @David Cope, thanks for remembering. Yes, that would have been Dad's Beetle. He had a string of crappy second hand cars, 2 Beetles, a Morris 1000 and a Triumph Herald to name but a few. He taught me to drive in one of them though not sure his methods would be accepted today..a 17 year old driving him home from Backworth golf club after a few pints !

[ShaunL]

..while I'm here I should mention, I lost Mam to dementia in May (she was 96 and born in December '25 so in terms of logjevity actually just outlived the Queen by a couple of months). Anyway, my brother and I had scattered Dad's ashes in the grounds at Hartford 25 years ago so my wife, Ruth and I took Mam there after the funeral. Of course it's now very upmarket apartments and private grounds but I was lucky enough to find a lady sitting with her friends drinking champagne outside the main hall who turned out to be the property manager. I told her my story and she gave us the run of the grounds so I was able to take Mam down the grand steps in front of the hall down to the riverside walk where I know Mam and Dad did their courting and scattered her ashes there. It was a really nice afternoon.

[ShaunL]

@David Cope, I'm sure you remember the gym at Hartford. It's changed a bit !

[David Cope]

Ah, the dreaded gym! My fondest memories were of the walks around the grounds and by the river. I remember the smell of wild garlic still.

By the way, in my first post it was a Triumph Spitfire I was given to look after, not Sprite. Memory playing tricks.

Sorry to hear about your Mum. Dementia is terrible. I had one grandparent suffer from it (although ‘suffer’ is perhaps the wrong word, as he always seemed happy in his own world - much more a nightmare for my Grandma, who had to look after him at home for years until he finally passed away). 96 is a good age. Hope I can make it that long!

Did you or anyone know what happened to Joyce? And her daughter? I think she was 15 or so when I met them for dinner. I moved out of the area after I was passed fit for work. I spent 3 years in Cleadon Village, ‘76 to ‘79, when I was taking a degree at Sunderland Poly, but then spent the rest of my working life abroad.

One other staff member I remember was a young physiotherapist and amateur chiropractor, can’t remember his name, but he was feared by the patients, especially those with back problems, because he would creep up behind you and grab you to give your neck or back a crack. I’m sure he thought he was doing good, but nobody else did!

Hartford Hall was an anachronism, in so much as it was modelled on those pre-war TB sanatoriums you would see in wartime movies, full of crippled soldiers and airmen. Didn’t see too many nurses in starched uniforms, though. And I don’t think we’ll see the likes of them again (or the NHS, either, if the Government carry on like this much more).