Best time to visit
I trained as a psychiatric nurse in Norwich in the 70's, and spent about a year here in 1976; the rest of the training was at Hellesdon. I lived in for a bit, in a room that was virtually derelict then.
I hated Thorpe St Andrews, mainly because I was uprooted against my will when I was happy at Hellesdon.
The pictures of the front entrance look like the north side to me.
I remember meeting two guys from the OT department who would induct students into the history of the place,and showing various artifacts that they had discovered, like a door lock, presumably for an isolation room, that was about 6 inches thick. In the very olden days, the bell in the tower on the south side, was rung if one of the inmates escaped.
If there was one good thing that Margaret Thatcher did, it was starting to close places such as these down.
Hellesdon, by contrast seemed to have much less of a flavour of malice about it, although some pretty awful thing went on there in the past, mercifully before time.
I remember meeting a staff nurse on the sick ward, on the north side, who informed me that he'd met a charge nurse who'd told him that disturbed patients used to be brought in in pig nets; whereupon, said charge nurse would give them a good punch, after which they were apparently, no trouble at all. Yes, the staff nurse was an idiot.
I've been meaning to have a look round Hellesdon hospital for years, but never quite got round to it now I live in London.I believe its still open, albeit on a scaled down operation now.
So, when's the best time to look round here? and are you allowed to?I'd love to go. I have no particular desire to see the cellars, or inside, but I would like to have a look round the outside, and oh yes, this is probably not the best place to post this, for the best response, where is the best place please; no bin suggestions please, or rude dark places. Many thanks to the photographers by the way.
