6. Memories are made of this.

Do you remember the song “Memories are made of this” which was made famous by Dean Martin?

I particularly I like another line in the same song that runs: “Stir caref’lly thru the days”. Why? Perhaps because it seems to flag-up a way forward for considering the past, which - after all - is what we are aiming at here.

If you can spare a minute now, think about the rich deposit of memories that exists amongst us concerning Joyce Green Hospital’s long life. It’s these I hope we'll be able to tap into soon.

Of course some pretty impressive Joyce-Green-related websites already exist plus at least one very good, very well illustrated book on Joyce Green (and her sister hospitals) but what we are really missing at present are accounts of some of the things that actually happened within the hospital during its long life.

If you worked there, visited the hospital, or were associated with the hospital you will have lots of memories of Joyce Green’s everyday life. Interesting memories, exciting memories, memories of everyday happenings, memories sometimes tinged with sadness …. but memories that stand to be forgotten or overlooked, never to see the light of day again unless - between us - we strive to record them somewhere …to write them down in order to preserve them for future generations.

How, for example, will those coming along behind us be able to find out about the life which was played out at Joyce Green, the way it functioned, the challenges it faced, the life it breathed …. unless we who knew her rise up to the challenge of recollecting and storing some of these precious, sometimes funny, sometimes sad stories?

Perhaps you have never thought of yourself as someone of importance in Joyce Green’s history - but think about it - if you have memories of Joyce Green you may have a lot to share which is of very great importance indeed.

For instance ...*Did you ever work at JGH over a Christmas period? What can you recall happening? *What about personalities that you remember from within the hospital? Why not tell us about them? *Do you remember anything strange or funny that occur during your period of contact with the hospital? Then please do tell us more about what you remember?

Leave a comment on this site or send me an e-mail, via careofu@hotmail.com , and let’s begin to put some living, breathing flesh onto the bare facts that already stand recorded. Will YOU consider helping me to get something down in writing about things that happened or about the way that things used to be? It would be really good to hear from you.