Bed Space

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Dormitories and Personal Space

Norman, a former resident, talks about some of his memories of dormitories when he was a child. This recording was made on November 17th 2005 and relates to Dawson Ward where he remembers going as a 15 or 16 year old and his previous residence (Barlow Home) where he had lived since his arrival at the hospital, aged 4 in the early 1940s. (Ref No. 7.2)

NI: And when you went to bed at ten o’clock on Dawson Ward what was the dormitory like Norman?
Norman: Oh it was one big room with beds in it. It’s three rooms: 103, 104, 105. It’s three bedrooms altogether with beds in it… All in lines. Four rows… Hundred and three my bedroom was with small lads in it.
NI: With the small ones in it?
Norman: It’s one there – bed. You have one row there, another one there and two on the other side. Had a gap way down the middle.
NI: So there were four rows?
Norman: One, two on one side. Another two on the other side.
NI: And what was the space between the beds Norman?
Norman: About here to there. From here to there.
NI: That’s nothing is it. There’s just enough space for somebody to walk down.
Norman: Yes.
NI: But no more. So you were very close to the person next to you.
Norman: Not too close.
NI: Not too close.
Norman: No.
NI: And on Barlow Home how had the beds been?
Norman: Oh round the wall in a big dormitory and a small dormitory.
NI: And on Barlow Home which dormitory were you in?
Norman: I was in the small dormitory first – in the big dormitory first, in the small one after.