Drug rep gifts: prescribing by persuasion
One Thing I Remember
Welcome to One Thing I Remember, a collection of first-hand memories from the communities of 2 historic hospitals in Bristol
In 2025 Glenside Hospital Museum received funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund in support of the Protect our Wellbeing (PoW!) project.
This has given us a precious opportunity to explore and preserve valuable history of mental health care via those connected to Glenside Hospital, and learning disability care at Stoke Park Hospital.
We've been collecting bite-size memories and glimpses into everyday life from the communities that these hospitals served, and we hope that it will deepen your understanding of these historic institutions.
If you have memories of your own to share from Stoke Park or Glenside Hospital, please get in touch. We'd love to hear from you!
Staff Memories
Staff endeavoured to provide kindness, humanity and care to the patients at Glenside and Stoke Park Hospital. Here they share some memories from their time working at these historic Bristol institutions.
Dr John Owen recounts his experience of being a junior doctor working night shifts at Glenside Hospital, with cockroaches scuttling the corridors in the 1980s.
Retired psychiatric nurse Roz Owen recalls her personal experience of the deeply ingrained hospital smoking culture at psychiatric hospitals in the 1980s.
John Pimm, former transport officer at Stoke Park Hospital in Bristol shares with us a funny memory from his working life 1969-1997.
Glenside Hospital social club is fondly remembered here by Sharon Douglas & Gail Milton, who here trained as nurses in the 1980s.
Louise Thompson remembers the nurses home on Blackberry Hill, which still serves the same purpose in the present day as The Hollies for UWE Glenside.
5 former staff discuss the high quality of the food for patients and staff, also remembering alcohol being home-brewed in one of the hospital bathrooms.
John Pimm recounts a memorable experience of a celebrity landlord welcoming some of Stoke Park Hospital's residents into his pub in Biddestone.
Sara Smith worked as a psychology assistant at The Burden Neurological Institute, based in the grounds of Stoke Park Hospital in the 1980s.
A challenging aspect of care on the elderly (then called “psychogeriatric”) wards during night shifts reflects the kind nature of Glenside Hospital nurses.
The Glenside Community
Explore short snippets of commentary on Glenside Hospital's culture, as remembered by various members of its connected community.
Martin Cottingham recounts his early family life at Glenside, where staff and patients would partake in team sports and social events together.
Carly (daughter of psychiatric nurse Jeff Wong) remembers Playscheme, a fun holiday club hosted on site for the children of Glenside staff in the early 1990s.
In the 1970s John Pearce’s mum got him a job as a porter at Glenside Hospital, age 20. He starred in the panto and also met and proposed to his wife Janet here!
Delyth Meredith-Jones reflects on her father’s role as chaplain at Glenside Hospital in Bristol and their family life on site, from the early 1970s.
Maggie Clements recalls the difficulties and stigma her family faced navigating her grandfather's mental health, unaware he likely had what we now call dementia.
Dave Watkins (a senior clinical skills technician at UWE) reflects on a time when Glenside's patients lived alongside the health & science training facilities.
Joining in on all the hospital's events, Martin remembers entering an art competition at one of the hospital's popular summer fetes.
5 nurses who once worked at the Glenside Hospital express their feelings about vulnerable patients being transferred into the community in the 1990s.
Delyth, daughter of Glenside Hospital chaplain Richard Meredith-Jones (the vicar known affectionately to all as Dick the Vic) grew up on site in the 1970s.
Martin Cottingham, the son of 2 psychiatric nurses remembers the multi-purpose nature of the dining hall at Glenside Hospital.
Explore further insights from Glenside Hospital Museum via the following blog posts:
- What impression did Glenside Hospital have on those who lived and worked there?
- Butlins, stranger than a psychiatric hospital
- Drug rep gifts: Prescribing by persuasion
Better still, pay us a visit at the museum or visit us virtually using the Bloomberg Connects app.
Explore our collection from anywhere
Discover the fascinating history of Glenside Hospital Museum wherever you are. Browse our collection virtually through the free Bloomberg Connects app, and don’t miss our specially curated Top 20 Highlights Tour.
