# Thanks to Prettyvacant71



## skoobysoo (Jul 2, 2014)

I was looking through your old thread about St Johns Hospital, Chelmsford. It is a now closed thread so I couldn't comment so here I will thank you for taking me down memory lane and making me smile and a little sad at the same.
20 years ago I gave birth to my daughter in the maternity wing there, seeing it in that state was saddening. The fact that it's now a housing estate in the making is even sadder although I thnk some buildings have been retained but you can't see which ones from the main road.
I had an ectopic pregnancy operation in the Gynee ward the year before her birth and the messages left on the wall included a reference to Dr Robarts who was my consultant at the time.
When my daughter was 4 she was taken to the children's ward with suspected menigitus which luckily turned out to be an infected gland in her neck. It was a very scary time and I spent a few nights sleeping next to her on the ward until she was well enough to go home.
I remember visiting my dad in the cardiac ward bless his soul during one of his heart attack recoveries with my mum.
There are odd occasions when I was there for whatever reasons but these stand out the most. Just seeing the car parking spaces where I used to wait as a cabbie for patients to take home made me smile.
Thank you for that somewhat sad but poignant walk back in time it brought back memories I had forgotten about.


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## mockingbird (Jul 3, 2014)

im not sure prettyvacant is an active member like they used to be, but reading this certainly makes me see why I love photographing places of a derelict nature, so thanks for sharing your memories  taking the time to address a member on here.


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## UrbanX (Jul 3, 2014)

Lovely to hear a first hand experience! 
Unfortunately she hasn't posted since last December, but I will pass on your gratitude when I bump into her.


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## skoobysoo (Jul 3, 2014)

Thanks guys, It's amazing what emotions just a few pictures can stir up. One of my regular togs has lent me and my partner a camera to have a mess abut with. I've taken a few shots in some local graveyards and a few other shots of an overgrown neglected sub station and a hardcore dump with poppies sprouting out the top in defiance. Not sure they really fit on your site though.
Anyway carry on the excellent work, you never know what thought provoking images you may end up portraying.


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## skankypants (Jul 3, 2014)

Super ,, thanks for posting your thought...can imagine it's quite moving....I've seen snaps of the hospital I was born in (wordsley)..all gone now,but great to see it before it became rubble


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## UrbanX (Jul 4, 2014)

Last time I went exploring with PrettyVacant71, she turned up dressed like this... Legend.


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## skoobysoo (Jul 14, 2014)

Effing excellent!


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