# Butleigh Hospital



## missis_b (Sep 28, 2012)

Hello all:

I've only just found this site. I was exploring on Google Earth from the US where I now live, to all the places I knew in England. 

I was devastated when I saw the sad pictures of the beautiful old building. I'm still upset a day later looking at the pictures again and posting this message.

My two boys, now aged 45 and 42, were both born at Butleigh Hospital. My middle child, a daughte, was born at home, as was the custom in those days, in a tiny thatched cottage in the village of Yeovilton, opposite the main runway of the Naval Air Station.

The Butleigh Hospital births were both lovely experiences. Downstairs was a geriatric ward and upstairs was maternity. It was all very casual, and nothing like the sterile, bright and noisy birthing environments of today. We had an entire ten days in bed with our feet up being pampered. The babies were in the nursery when we were not feeding them. There was a lovely walled vegetable garden outside where staff grew fresh produce for our meals, which were smashing. My children were born in summer and I remember the tall windows being open and white linen curtains blowing in the breeze. The only sounds outside were birds and bees. Of course there was no TV in the ward in the late 60s so we entertained each other.

There were only three or four beds in the maternity unit. I just remember having such fun with the other moms and feeling like we were at summer camp. 

Thanks for this terrific site. I'm enjoying browsing.

missis_b


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## UrbanX (Sep 28, 2012)

I've just popped this into General as it's not a location report. 

Glad to hear you've found this site, and can add a bit of first hand history to the above site. It means we're doing our job right!  

Oh, welcome along too btw


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