I noticed someone asking about the children's home on Hawkshead Street - there was indeed a home there in the sixties at least as my sister was sent there on a couple of occasions. I was only about 10 or 11 I think, but I suppose. looking back it was for children who were suffering from various illnesses, and who it was thought back then would 'benefit' from fresh sea air etc...this was aimed at kids from the dark satanic mills 'up north' which is where we came from.

She was merely a sickly child who often had colds and coughs and the doctor thought it was her environment - so he packed her off there and she immediately became much worse because of extreme homesickness-we used to go on the train from Blackburn to visit her - we were only allowed to go once a week on a saturday - I used to get very travel sick and that combined with the smell of milky coffee which my mother always insisted we take along in a flask and which we never ordinarily drank, still makes me feel nauseous to remember !

It must have been such a horrendous experience for my sister that, even as an adult, she used to hate the very name of Southport, and was even reluctant to visit me when I got married and by coincidence, moved to live there in the early 70's!

I Lived in Hakshead Street when i was a child and the hospital was there then that was in 1937 im not sure when it closed but it was for poorly children from all over the north west i left Southport in 1952/3 but not sure if it it had closed then i dont think it had

There's a little book about a girl who went to the hospital and her family in St Helens. "Streets Apart" by Walter Jackson,
ISBN 0 9526406 0 0.
I got mine from WH Smiths £4.99

Well worth the money

The hospital, or more correctly I suppose, a convalecent home for children was certainly going in the fifties. I delivered papers there from Critchley's in the mid-fifities.

Was this hospital just before manchester road? I lived in st lukes road and im only 29 but remember a dark horrible looking building which had a little playground round the back. We were all to frightened to go and investigate as you do when little.

It closed in 1972......then for several years was a derelict playground for us local kids.....It is now where all the sheltered houses are.

It Was A convalecent home I Was In it
For About 4 Months, And Only Lived Round
The Corner From It In Mount St

I have a postcard of the childrens convalescent hospital

This is a photo of my hubby in about 1957. He thinks it is Hawkshead Street Hospital, but it could be Princess Elizabeth Ward at the old Infirmary.
I am sure someone will be able to tell which it is!

Originally Posted by ex more

I had a strange dream last night, for some reason the Hospital I spent a considerable amount of time at came back to me. I've given the place very little thought at all. It's almost as if I only remember it as a dream. A quick google and there it is, just as I remember. I only have fond memories of this place and the people there.

I've found enough information to know it closed in '72, I think i was there somewhere between 70 and 72 as I remember wards with old folks in(apparently it became used for Geriatrics in its final years), in fact I can only every remember 1 or two wards full of children yet it was quite a big place.

Andy

Originally Posted by DougM

It Was A convalecent home I Was In it
For About 4 Months, And Only Lived Round
The Corner From It In Mount St

yes my brother was in there,early 50s.we also lived in southport.

From National ArchivesSorry it's so long winded





Details: Hawkshead Hospital, Southport : details



Go to: Name | Administration | Status/Type | Other info | Records

Name

Present name
Hawkshead Hospital


Previous name(s)
North of England Children's Sanatorium (1860 - 1948)
Children's Convalescent Hospital (1948 - 1969)


Address
Hawkshead Street Southport


Previous location




Foundation Year
1860


Closed
Yes


Closure year
1977

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Administrative authorities : Administrative authorities

Regional Hospital Board (1948-74)
Liverpool


Hospital Management Committee (1948-74)
Southport and District


Regional Health Authority (1974-82)
Mersey


Regional Health Authority (1982- )
Not Applicable


District Health Authority (1974-82)
Northern


District Health Authority (1982- )
Not Applicable


County (before 1974)
Lancashire


County (1974-1996)
Merseyside


County (after 1996)
Not applicable


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Status : Status

Pre 1948
Voluntary


Post 1948
NHS

Type : Type

Pre 1948
Tuberculosis, Children


Post 1948
Geriatric, GER: c.1970 - ? OTHER: Children (psychiatric and convalescent).



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Records can be found at:


Merseyside Record Office



Record type Date range

Administrative
1864 - 1960


General
1867 - 1953


Finance
1905 - 1946


Ephemera
1864 - 1960


Pictorial
1900 - 1937


Private Papers
1947 - 1960


Finding aids

Finding aids
Catalogue


Location of finding aids
At Repository(AR), National Register of Archives (NRA)


Details
M614 SAN



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Hawkeshead Hospital



Record type Date range

Administrative
1940 - 1977


General
1940 - 1970


Admission & Discharge
1957 - 1977


Clinical & Patients
1960 - 1970


Finding aids

Finding aids



Location of finding aids



Details





Notes
Hospital now closed - no current information on whereabouts of these records. ?Try Merseyside Record Office