On 31st May,1962 the Spike finally closed down as accommodation for the casual poor or tramps as they were now called. There would no longer be a Reception Centre for tramps at St Luke’s. James Feeney, a regular caller said that it was a calamity for tramps.
Researcher Naomi Taylor found this article while searching Surrey Advertiser archives at the Surrey History Centre.
“T’was Christmas day in the Workhouse and the cold bare walls are bright, with garlands of green and holly, and the place is a pleasant sight …” wrote George R Simms in his famous monologue.
He must have known that in Christmas 1944 the Mayor would pay his annual short visit to the site. His visit was “much appreciated by staff, patients and inmates”, or so the Surrey Advertiser reported on 29th December 1944 in an article entitled “Warren Road Institution”. Like the monologue it also went on with expressions to the effect that the wards of the hospital were tastefully decorated. However Rev WAE Austen, Chairman, Surrey County Council Public Health Committee, took exception to this report and responded in a “Letter to the Editor” publish on 13th January 1945.
In this he pointed out that the “… whole emphasis [of the article was] on the word ‘Institution’ [and the]… curious idea that because Warren Road was once a workhouse it had no right to be regarded as a hospital”. Also “By a further curious mental process it is assumed …. that for some mysterious reason the hospital must be of the sort to which one would only go if he or she could help it”. He then went on to list the many improvements made to the Hospital over the last six years since it became a Public Health Hospital (i.e. managed by his Public Health Committee) and that further expansion of the Hospital had been postponed by wartime conditions. He concluded “Warren Road [Hospital] is, in fact, an acute general hospital and last year admitted some 6000 patients, a very large majority were acute cases”.
The Surrey Advertiser responded by printing, in the same edition, a short article expressing the hope that “… the County Council will renew its efforts to find a more suitable name for the hospital. Until they succeed ‘Warren Road’ and the ‘Poor Law’ of unblessed memory will be inseparable … for Surry folk. Evidence of this comes to the notice of the ‘Surrey Advertiser’ repeatedly.”
This hope was discussed by the Guildford Hospital Sub-Committee at a meeting on 1 February 1945. The minutes record that “The Chairman of the Public Health Committee suggested that as the Hospital was in the Parish of St Luke’s, Guildford, the Hospital should be renamed ‘St Luke’s Hospital’, Guildford.” The minutes also record that “The Sub-Committee do authorise the renaming of Warren Road Hospital as ‘St Luke’s Hospital’, Guildford”.
Remarkably the change took place very quickly. So, from 1 April 1945, the hospital became St Luke’s Hospital Guildford.
While the original corrugated iron church was later demolished it is remembered in the name of the hospital that continues to play a large role in our community.
Phil Davie, January 2015
Christmas was always a special time at St Luke’s. For the patients, being in hospital over Christmas was very hard and so the staff did everything they could to make a cheerful atmosphere on the wards and behind the scenes.
Senior management and doctors served the staff Christmas dinner and would join the nurses who visited the wards singing carols and wearing their capes inside out to show the red lining. Wards were decorated with a new theme each year, usually set by Matron. The children’s ward made sure that there was a tea party and games to play.
The Mayor and Mayoress of Guildford would pay a visit, with the maternity ward being a very popular place for the all important Surrey Advertiser photograph welcoming the first baby born on Christmas Day.
Take a look at our archive selection of festive wards from 1958 to 1974:
1. Henrique’s Ward in 1959
2. Sells Ward on Christmas Day 1958
3. Sister ‘Robbie’ Robinson with children on Harper Ward, Christmas 1974
4. A Christmas party for ex patients on the children’s ward
\
The cell doors at the Spike tell a story all of their own: scored with century old graffiti and bearing the marks of time. Sadly, there were very few peep-holes left in tact and the bolts and locks had long been stripped away.
Luckily for the Spike, Len Norman has been able to find some of the original bolts and made new peep hole covers so that visitors can now see what the original doors would have looked like.
Len came in today and after some discussion with Gordon McBrearty one of our leading guides, fixed the new bolts. Thanks Len – as usual you have come up trumps!
45 Baccalaureate students from Lorraine , France, paid a surprise visit to the Spike today.
They are studying topics related to future careers in nursing and social care. Their tutor had asked the Tourist Information Office for a suitable destination on a rainy afternoon in Guildford. No contest, really!!
Dave and Sarah gave a costume tour of the Spike and Jane helped with information on the project exhibition. The students were a delight and we hope that our leaflets and information pack on the history of St Luke’s Hospital help in their studies.
Their tutor Veronique wrote in our Visitor’s Book- ‘Stunning tour – shudders down the back….’