A FORMER nurse has put together a book of recollections, stories, research and pictures chronicling the life and times of Mount Vernon Hospital following its closure last year.
John Rooke, who has worked in nursing for almost 40 years and grew up in Worsbrough Bridge, came up with the idea of the 99-page book, titled Memories of Mount Vernon Hospital, as a way of ‘preserving the footprint and ethos of the hospital’, which when opened in 1961 was one of the first in the country to specialise in the care of the elderly.
“There was a lot of sadness due to the pending closure and many memories of the services it had provided to patients of Barnsley and outlying district,” said John, 56, of Thurlstone Road, Penistone.
“So many people were cared for here, visited relatives and friends and worked here, I wanted to capture their experiences and share it all with others.”
He has collated experiences from former nursing staff and researched the history of the Mount Vernon site, detailing its many changes over the years. The book has more than 100 black and white and colour photographs and contemporary newspaper cuttings.
“At the moment the hospital is still standing, but the site is expected to be sold. However, this book will enable the hospital to live on in everybody’s memories.”
John trained as a nurse in Barnsley, later going on to work in health visiting within the Barnsley area. He has also been a community matron and went on to work in Tameside and Glossop Primary Care Trust as a clinical nurse leader.
For a short period of time he worked in the Barnsley Walk-In Centre at Gateway Plaza and is now semiretired.
n Memories of Mount Vernon Hospital will be launched on Wednesday September 19 at 2pm at The Old George, Market Hill, Barnsley. Copies of the book will be for sale, and John will be available for signings.
