Spooky night duty for nurses in the huts on the hill above city

The aerial picture of Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham, clearly showing the huts half-way up the hill in which night duty for nurses could be eerie. Picture: costen.co.uk

Sheelagh Brown says they brought back many happy memories of her student nurse days between 1958 and 1963.

Sheelagh, of St Mary’s Road, Hayling Island, lived in at the nurses’ home at the old Royal Portsmouth Hospital in Commercial Road, where you now find Sainsbury’s.

However, their training was based between the two hospitals.

QA started life as a military hospital, hence the grandiose buildings you can see in the aerial picture on the right.

Sheelagh says: ‘There were still a few ‘old’ soldiers in their blue suits during that time.’

She adds: ‘I was also interested in the aerial photo for we worked in the ‘huts’, turned into wards, going up the hill – a bit eerie on night duty!

‘I also recall the millionth Morris Minor was made during one of those years.

‘A local garage, possibly Wadhams, donated a large cake in the shape of the car to the children’s ward.’