Relationships Punished

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In this extract Mary Andrews nee Thompson, a former resident, recalls how other female residents were punished for trying to communicate with boyfriends. This may have been referring to the 1950s and was at a time when the hospital endeavoured to enforce a policy of strict sexual segregation for both staff and residents. Ironically in more recent times, after leaving hospital Mary herself married a former resident.
Mary recalled this memory as she gazed across at Coupland Ward from the first floor of the hospital. Recorded on January 5th 2007 it was the first time in many, many years that Mary had been inside what was the hospital.

Mary: 'That was Coupland Ward up there… I only went up when I had any messages. They used to write letters to boys did the girls. And they used to be put up there for doing that. Poor buggers… Just for writing a letter to a boyfriend. Eeh there was some bonny girls. (Mary recalled 5 or 6 names) Eeh I remember them all. They’ll never have them days now will they. (Sighs) Eeh nearly all old ‘uns have gone haven’t they? Oh not many of us left…
Nigel: 'And how long would they get put in Coupland Ward for writing a letter to a boyfriend?
Mary: ‘They weren’t in a long time. They were only in for about a week.’