Historic Havant Hospital tiles can have a permanent home
STORY Two of the tiles at Havant War Memorial Hospital
A MUSEUM says it will permanently house cherished nursery rhyme tiles from Havant War Memorial Hospital.
The Spring Arts and Heritage Centre, which is home to the town’s museum, has offered to put them on display.
As reported in The News, the Royal Doulton tiles have been a fixture on the walls of the children’s ward at the hospital since 1936.
But their future has been thrown into doubt as the hospital, in Cross Way, is set to close this week forever.
The building is being put up for sale and could be demolished by any developer that buys the site.
NHS Hampshire, which owns the building, has agreed to create a covenant meaning the tiles have to be removed intact if the building is bulldozed. But until now there has been no place to put the tiles.
Museum officer Kate Saunders said The Spring wanted to act after seeing how passionate people in Havant are about the tiles.
She said: ‘There’s been a lot of public pressure to do something. People are interested in preserving them and we are the local museum after all. We had a look round to see what we could do. We had to find enough space.
‘People have been fighting very hard to keep that heritage.’
The tiles would be given pride of place in the theatre gallery.
Inger Hebden, director of capital planning at NHS Hampshire, said: ‘It’s good news. It definitely makes life easier if there’s a local organisation saying we will take them. It tidies up that loose end.’
Mrs Hebden is still waiting for a specialist valuer to tell her how much the tiles are worth, but says it could cost the NHS up to £20,000 to remove the tiles from the walls intact. It means it is probably more likely a developer would pay for the removal of the tiles.
A meeting to discuss future plans for the tiles has been arranged for Thursday, October 13.
The meeting, which includes Mrs Hebden, community leaders and residents’ groups, will take place in the Langstone Room of The Spring and starts at 2pm.
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Thursday 23 February 2012
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Comments
There are 3 comments to this article
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peter loves tiles
Sunday, October 2, 2011 at 06:44 PMPlease please do not remove these tile panels using a chisel, there is absolutely no way even a well intentioned aritisan can do this job in this manner. These tiles would have been very well adhered to the wall when they were installed probably using cement, even metal mesh and it is extremely easy to damage them removing them as has been suggested. The concrete is stronger than the ceramic of the tile thus causing the tile to crack if prised off with a chisel.Professional equipment using a diamond saw blade to follow the grout lines is required to do this job and major damage could be done to these wonderful panels if the correct method is not observed. We are members of TACS (TILES AND ARCHITECTURAL CERAMICS SOCIETY) and one of their principle aims is to protect tiles in situ or to have them saved and put on public display, which you say could be a possibility,.. Sadly TACS cannot provide funding however suffice it to say these are both valuable to the area (the most important reason) and also financially.
John Bray
Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 04:05 PMPlease note that the sum of £20,000 bandied about for the removal of the tiles is an absolute no-brainer. As I pointed out last month I can come down from Sussex, remove the tiles and return for no more than £200. A resident telephoned me and I explained how to remove the tiles - any competant artisan could do it with a half inch chisel and lotsa of patience. Do keep an eye on this one please. John Bray 10444 457528
griffon
Tuesday, September 27, 2011 at 11:13 AMA clear case of common sense breaking out. Havant museum is so obviously a proper home for these delightful memories of a once local hospital.
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