Ghosts at seacroft hospital

[Festwerfer]

Okay seeing as how my post has caused some questions here is the Story. I was in a room on my own which had a door to the outside in it presumably from way back when patients were wheeled outside for fresh air. Anyway about 7.30 on a Sunday morning I looked up as I heard a noise outside the door I got out of bed to see what it was and there was a Labrador scratching at the door ( nothing unusual in that you may think but as I stood looking at the dog it turned away as if I had startled it and as it trotted away towards the trees It just seemed to melt away it was a bright sunny morning and it was about 30 yards from the tree line when it happened OK cue disbelieving sniggers etc but I know what I saw Ill I may have been but I was not bed ridden on medication or drunk and im not given to day dreaming so..... Must admit though being ill and knowing what ghost dogs are supposed to signify the old sphincter was tightening for a bit. Anyway that's the tale think what you will        

[chameleon]

dogduke wrote: I belive that the clock Tower also doubles as a water tower.Anybody able to confirm this please.My wife worked at Seacroft and had no ghostly experineces but things have been a bit spooky on the Beckett Wing at Jimmys,footsteps on empty wards 29-30 which were locked out of useduring refurbishment. Oooooooh yes it doesNot sure if they are still live, but they were into the 80's. Two tanks, one above the otherseperated by a few feet and almost the size of the inside of the tower.Therein lies my despair that I've told of before, you see, I can't do with being in anywhere dark where there;s water.To get out on to the roof, you go up a ladder from the landing, past the tanks (and the water) out through a door. Not much in the way of lighting except at night when it's illuminated, but, with the door open, eyes fixed straight ahead on the daylight outside, away we go humming quietly to show everything was fine. And the door blew shut plunging me into darkness, with the water.S'ok though, I was found about 20 minutes later and they tell me they managed to prise my fingers off the ladder to coax me out. Much as it apeals otherwise, would make a lousy partner on our Phill's expeditionsJust as a side note here, the pipes ran out all over the Hospital grounds and not much to be had in the way of plans,When new building was planned, the hospital engineer arrived, walking rapidly up and down outside with his dowsing sticks, stopping here and there and pointing for men with shovels to dig.Now we were all essentially scientists in our outlook and treated this display with some hilarity, until on looking down each freshly dug hole, we saw the water pipes. New found respect there was for the guy! (btw - there was talk of removing the tower a while ago when it was starting to look unstable - it's now listed).

[chameleon]

Perhaps the real ghosts are of the buildings themselves. Seacroft Hospital is a little over 110 years old now and the remaining accommodation comprises of a mixture of the original structures, old sections revitalised and improved and newer buildings.The intention is (if has not already happened) to reduce the site to a day and outpatient facility, utilising the best elements of the complex.Many of the associated services have already gone, almost all of the purpose-built Pathology labs, with the Blood Transfusion Service to have their technical work consolidated into just three areas of the country which will leave the sprawling site at Seacroft reduced to little more than a local 'finished product' storage depot.It has been said that it was once a hospital housing sick children, and indeed it was; they too are long gone and though what ever the cause of their presence there, they could often be seen - and heard laughing - whilst walking round the grounds. I can't help but think that the open spaces surrounding the wards, the greenery and colourful mature trees and the wild life they gave home to might have played a part in keeping up the spirits of those in residence. I wonder how they view their new surroundings amongst the heights of St James or the confines of the inner city LGI?The saddest loss of all is the arry of old buildings to the western end of the site, great barn-like structures with open beamed interiors displaying the craftsmanship of the time giving home to the laundry, the joiner's shop, the engineers and many more who contributed for so long to make the hospital virtually self sufficient.There now stands a modern chimney (for oil-fired boilers I believe, could be gas now), where once was a distinctive slender, blackened stack belching out the smoke from the coal boilers, the rounded top and protruding ledge below giving it the appearance of wearing a bowler hat! The large ashpit below is now reclaimed and amassed with maturing trees - once a footpath ran along side the boundary wall at the bottom of the grounds from York Road through to the footbridge over the railway to Halton Deans, hardly a trace to be found now.There are plans to make use of the fields to the rear and abutting the railway to provide affordable housing and, of course generate income for the Trust. I can't help but think that by the time that comes into being, the Hospital will be so run down and limited in it's offerings, that the entire site will disapear and with it an entire century of building heritage.    

[raveydavey]

I agree that the Seacroft site would make an ideal location for the often promised Childrens Hospital.In addition to all the good points you've listed it also has excellent transport links, with a good bus service 7 days a week (the 56 is every 10 minutes Mon-Sat, every 20 minutes on Sun).That said, with the current Trust mentality of moving everything to Jimmy's and selling off anything worth a bean it can only be a matter of time before it becomes another development rammed full with shoebox sized apartments and mini executive homes like Killingbeck across the way and the old hospitals at Rothwell and Meanwood.

[smudge]

Thanls for all the replies, i like the one about the labrador, and its also great to find out whats in the tower as i've always wondered. As for the decline of the hospital it is a real shame. Similar to high rotds i think. However, a new dialysis ward has just opened and there is a new ivf outpatients moving there, so it may be there for some time to come. It will be a shame to lose all the open spaces though as i really think these contribute to patient quality of life while they are there. By the way, one of my colleagues tells me of a ghostly experience of seeing a man in a suit in one of the side rooms on R ward. Apparently he just appeared behind the curtain and then vanished.

[smudge]

Sorry about the spelling mistakes in my last post, i read it after i posted it, i think some of my keys must be playing up.