‘Old section of Northern General Hospital was old and creepy'

This letter sent to the Star was written by Linda Mary Luke, Kettwig, Germany
Fir Vlae WorkhouseFir Vlae Workhouse
Fir Vlae Workhouse

How the Northern General Hospital has changed – this grand hospital that serves most of Sheffield these days, has new buildings springing up like mushrooms everywhere.

I have fond memories of this place, having trained and worked there as a nurse for years, firstly in the old Vickers block, then later on Chesterman heart unit.

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What sticks in my mind the most and an incident that haunts me to this day is how creepy the old section of the hospital was.

I didn’t enjoy going to the toilet alone back then, always felt something or someone was watching me, and was in an out like a shot.

There were several incidents in one of the single rooms on the old block too, and I remember this particular evening one of our patients scared half to death, insisting to be moved at once.

He told us there was something in his room throwing water around.

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We found this hard to believe at the time, it was all quiet on the ward that evening and no-one was wandering around.

We were in disbelief, until we saw his bedside trolley and water jug empty, standing near the doorway, and water was splashed all over the room.

The patient was in no fit state to have done this himself, as he was bed bound and tied up to monitors. It’s a mystery to this day.

The patient was moved and following further unusual incidents in this room, a vicar was brought in to bless the room.

The old section of the hospital stood upon the old workhouse, known as the union. 

This place was old and creepy, and I got the eerie feeling the walls could tell a tale or two.