Extract from Down and out in London and Essex

 

 

Born.

St John's Hospital, Chelmsford, Essex.

Lucas William Sullivan.

St John's Hospital was built on the site of an army barracks during the Napoleonic War. The current buildings were first used by the Chelmsford Union in 1837 as a poor house and in 1930 the workhouse was handed over to Essex County council and was used as an infirmary for many casualties and prisoners of war during WWII.

In 1948 the beloved NHS took on the hospital and has looked after this humble site ever since. Its slightly romantic to imagine hundred's of thousands of little Essex babies being born in to Thatcher's shoddily iced 80's, parents hoping their new-born would grow up to own two cars, a conservatory and take on a successful double glazing business. Little did they know they were being born in an ex workhouse and more than 50% of them would find themselves struggling for any work on the shit side of the economic boom.


The midwife noted that I came out rather quietly. There was no fight, no battle to see the light of Chelmsford. I was content to be introduced to the four walls of the brightly lit room and blinked to be greeted by several perms, a moustache and two pairs of thick rimmed NHS discounted glasses.