Kent & Sussex Hospital Tiles: We Did It!
We Saved The Tiles! Yes you read that right, thanks to this blog and our Tunbridge Wells Project, the Noah's Ark tiles of the Kent & Sussex Hospital's children's ward have been saved.
After we highlighted their plight last year, all the tiles are to be carefully removed and restored. But, there is always a but, after some careful research it appears that only the large Noah’s Ark panel is unique to the hospital. Therefore the decision has been made to remove this panel and install it in the new Pembury Hospital and auction off all the other panels. It is hoped that the proceeds from this auction will cover the cost of removal and restoration of the tiles and work will begin next week.
If you are looking for a new set of tiles for your kitchen or bathroom then I highly recommend looking out for them, hopefully we can at least keep them in Tunbridge Wells.
David and I are incredibly chuffed at being such an influential part of saving these historic pieces of architecture. It's reasons like this as to why the Project was created and why we are trying to document every building in Tunbridge Wells.
It also goes without saying that we should also thank Graham Goddard and John Weeks from the NHS Trust and TWBC for getting their heads together and coming to an agreement to keep the tiles safe. Right, next stop, Save the Cinema...joking!
I have just been chatting to my father, born in 1934. As I talked about the tiles a flicker of a distant memory of them came to him. He had his tonsils removed in about 1942. His main memory is of the incredibly highly polished, shiny Lino, the smell of antiseptic and, curiously, the front of the hospital being painted in camouflage paint.
”He is wondering if the hospital really was camouflaged or if his memory is playing tricks. Do you know?
Comment left by Anne Wagstaff on February, 05 2012
so....
Saved: 1 - Lost: how many ?
seems a poor return for those good people who paid for the panels by subscribing to the Courier's Peanut Club all those years ago. I wonder if somewhere there might be a modern generous benefactor (or local businesses) who might purchase the panels and donate them back to the hospital in some sort of sponsorship scheme. They would look good in the entrance hall to the new hospital, which at present is (dare I say it) a bit 'clinical' in appearance.... or perhaps those nice PFI people could put to some good use the profits they are creaming off the crazy way this building is financed !
”Comment left by JohnHB on February, 03 2012
Woohoo!! Fantastic work guys!! :o) xx
”Comment left by TinyBlueBubbles on February, 02 2012
Be great if some could come back to their town of manufacture as well...Poole.
”Comment left by Jo on February, 02 2012
Brilliant- keep us posted about the auction as well.
”Comment left by caroline auckland on February, 02 2012
Well done guys, good work
”Comment left by Steve on February, 02 2012
Nicely done guys!!
”Comment left by Kevin on February, 02 2012
Well done, good news all round.
”Comment left by Craig on February, 02 2012
Fantastic news! Well done all!
”Comment left by Cath on February, 02 2012