ShaunL

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

..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.

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 !

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 🤣

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..