Patients celebrate new wildlife garden at hospital in 1988

The two pictures here are among hundreds that the Oxford Mail has published of happy occasions at the Churchill Hospital.

The one above was taken in 1988 when a wildlife garden was opened in the hospital grounds to attract birds and delight patients.

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It was one of six similar gardens created in the Headington hospital grounds at that time.

The work was carried out by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Naturalists’ Trust and was the brainchild of former patient Pat Hartridge.

Mrs Hartridge is pictured second from the right in the picture with, left to right, Cliff Shuker, Phil Hill and Colleen Petursson.

Mr Shuker was the senior director of ISTEL, a Cowley-based high-tech company which paid the £300 cost of creating the garden.

Mr Hill was the project supervisor and Mrs Petursson was assistant director of nursing services at the hospital.

They are seen unveiling the board at the entrance to the latest garden, outside the day room of the gynaecology ward. It had been planted with woodland trees, including silver birch and mountain ash.

The new £3,000 wheelchair ambulance

The lower picture dates from 1975 when a £3,000 wheelchair ambulance was officially handed over to the hospital by the Oxfordshire branch of the British Red Cross Society.

It was bought from the profits made over a number of years at the Red Cross shop at the hospital.

Michael Page, the Red Cross director in Oxfordshire, is seen handing the keys to Marjorie Corton, the hospital’s head occupational therapist, as patients and staff look on.

Patients had already ridden in the vehicle, which had a tail-lift and had room for three wheelchairs and seats for others.

The Oxford Mail reported: “It is being used to take patients to their homes with an occupational therapist so their ability to cope at home can be assessed.

“When the young chronic sick unit opens at the Churchill, the ambulance will take patients from there on shopping trips and outings.”

The hospital celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2022.

It was initially founded by the Ministry of Health as an Emergency Medical Service hospital for local air raid casualties and then leased to the medical services of the United States Army.

In 1946, the facility was handed over to Oxford City Council, with the Radcliffe Infirmary managing the transition to a civilian hospital,