MAKING EACH DAY COUNT 40 years of the great and the good Local history and memories
1979 - 2019 We dedicate this book to all of those we have cared for and for whom we have made each day count All profits from this book will contribute to the work of St Andrew’s Hospice, incorporating Andy’s children’s hospice
Contents Forewords About our book Acknowledgements The 70s: A triumph in turbulent times The 80s: Mullets and worldwide fundraising The 90s: Growth, relocation and communication Nursing Memories The 2000s: Building for the future 2009 - 2019: A thoroughly modern hospice Monuments, statues and artefacts of Great Grimsby Back to business Image credits and production team Our staff, directors and volunteers
4 6 7 8 13 24 41 43 62 94 96 101 102
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Foreword Melanie Onn
MP for Great Grimsby
St Andrew’s Hospice holds a special place in many Grimsby folks’ hearts. For 40 years it has continuously supported families through some of the most challenging and distressing periods in their lives. The attentiveness and specialisation of caring for those with life-limiting illnesses, and those nearing the end of their lives, gives St Andrew’s its welldeserved place in our town’s history. This book gives a fascinating insight into the role St Andrew’s has played over the years, reflecting the changes in our society, nationally and locally, but always the steadfastness of the commitment of the local
Like most people in Cleethorpes, Grimsby and the wider northern Lincolnshire area, I have both affection and admiration for St Andrew’s. It’s not just a much-loved part of the local community but one that’s been a part of my family story. When the hospice was based at The Beeches, in Waltham Road, my father was admitted and spent the last few weeks of his life in the care of splendid staff and volunteers. Three years later, my mother was diagnosed with cancer and was due to be admitted to St Andrew’s but, sadly, she
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community to ensuring that a modern, caring and uplifting hospice facility has been available for our people. In the few short years I have been Great Grimsby’s Member of Parliament, I have seen huge changes in the hospice - developing the service for children with long term illnesses and providing much-needed respite for families, the complete refurbishment of accommodation for those receiving palliative care fit for 21st century care, a feelgood salon facility and hydropool, open community café space
and a calming sensory garden. The desire to continue to improve the facilities available for the whole community is testament to the energy and dedication to all of those involved in St Andrew’s, from the inexhaustible volunteers to the highly skilled staff and other contributors. Cheers to the next 40 years!
Martin Vickers
MP for the Cleethorpes constituency
passed away the day before she was to be transferred from Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital. On my visits I never fail to be impressed by the dedication and compassion shown to patients. The generosity of local people is a clear demonstration of how the community values the hospice. That generosity is seen in the improved facilities. The care and compassion that was on offer in the days at The Beeches has been a constant through the years but there is no comparison; when we look at the buildings
and facilities today, we can see a massive improvement. Our ageing society will mean more and more people needing endof-life care and to receive such care in peaceful surroundings, delivered by caring and compassionate people, and with loved ones close at hand, must be something we must strive to maintain, enhance and continue to value.
Michelle Rollinson
Hospice Chief Executive
ever children’s hospice, and then, when we moved back to South Humberside, we contributed to the fundraising efforts to open an adult hospice in Scunthorpe
continuation of high quality palliative and end of life care for patients and their loved ones.
My connection with St Andrew’s resumed in 2000 when, as a children’s nurse, I attended a successful interview for the new children’s hospice that was due to open early in 2001.
My first experience of St Andrew’s Hospice was in the early 1980s when, as an 8-yearold, I accompanied my family to the Molson Centre for day-care. Mum and Dad both volunteered for the service while my brother and I spent time with the patients, listening to their stories, playing bingo and card games and enjoying the visiting groups. Our life then went off in a different direction as we moved to Oxford. The hospice movement, however, was never far away from our thoughts and efforts, as we fundraised to support Helen House, the first
After working for the charity for over 18 years, I am still in awe and proud of the support and care provided by the teams of dedicated, passionate staff and volunteers. This isn’t just the nursing, doctors and support and wellbeing teams, but everyone who contributes to the successful running of the hospice. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every staff member and volunteer for their incredible support and devotion. As a charity, we could not provide this much needed care to people with life-limiting illnesses, or to their families, without the valuable support of our local community. I am humbled and so grateful for the generosity of those who feature in this book, along with so many more of you, who are motivated to raise vital funds for St Andrew’s Hospice.
When you read of the journey, and look at the wonderful facilities that we now have, they are absolutely a testament to the generosity of our supporters and legators. My thanks and those of the board go to the very generous people who make our work possible.
Ian Hargreaves
Chair of the Board of Trustees On behalf of the board of trustees, it gives me great pride to endorse this celebratory publication to mark the 40th anniversary of St Andrew’s Hospice.
I would also like to thank my fellow board members and all of our staff and volunteers for their hard work in keeping St Andrew’s thriving and delivering more for our patients and community. Thank you for buying this book and for supporting us.
The board would like to extend its gratitude to the individuals, businesses and organisations who unreservedly support us to ensure the
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About our book This book is a celebration that marks not only the 40th anniversary of St Andrew’s Hospice, but also, in parallel, recounts the history of the town of Great Grimsby and, the national and international contexts that influenced and shaped it. With the intention to bring our story alive through social history, we have set out to create nostalgic reminders and, opportunities to reminisce and reflect on the life and times of the past four decades. As we progress through the years perhaps the stories will remind us where we were, what we were doing, what dominated the newspapers and our TV screens; what made us laugh and, what made us cry. Over 40 years there is such a lot to cover making the final edit an incredibly difficult task but we hope the breadth of content creates a good representation! The specific acknowledgements and thanks we wish to make are diverse and many and can be found in our acknowledgements page that follows. We also owe the deepest debt of gratitude to our many patients, staff, volunteers, supporters, donors, families, health and social care partners, businesses, clubs, charitable trusts, funders &
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groups, without whom all of our work simply would not have been possible. Whether directly mentioned or not, please be assured that your contributions are recognised, appreciated and, deeply valued. We hope that you enjoy these uplifting reflections of our history and that of our wonderful communities and, that this book provides a lasting keepsake of the work of St. Andrew’s Hospice and Andy’s Children’s Hospice.
Lesley Charlesworth-Browne Deputy Chief Executive 2019
Acknowledgements
Ian Davey
We owe a debt of gratitude to the many who have contributed their time, skills and resources to the production of this celebratory book. These include our principal authors, Ian Davey and Dr Stephen Bloy, who have donated their time to us without charge, working tirelessly on their manuscripts over many months to provide us with the hospice’s story and the contextual local and international history. We would also like to thank our other contributors, who have helped to shape the narrative
Dr Stephen Bloy
of the book, including (in alphabetical order): Muriel Bealey History, memories and names. Lesley Charlesworth-Browne Book concept, project management, editing, proofing and content, About Our Book narrative, Acknowledgements content and jacket narrative. Ian Hargreaves Foreword. Michelle Lalor Editing and proofing.
Emma Mathias Editing, proofing, local history content, sub editing, graphics and photography. Melanie Onn MP Foreword. Michelle Rollinson Editing, proofing, foreword, history, memories and names. Martin Vickers MP Foreword. Yvonne Wright Reviewing the archive of physical photos, history, memories and names. Thanks are extended also to the
intellectual property owners of some of the photography and content used within this book (as noted) and with particular thanks to the Grimsby Telegraph whose archive photography has been reproduced with permission, free of charge. The cost of producing this book has been supported through page sponsorship by a range of local businesses which has enabled us to maximise the fundraising achieved. It costs £15,000 per day to run all aspects of the hospice’s activities, so each and every penny counts!
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The Seventies
1970 - 1979
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Dame Cicely Saunders, founder of the British hospice movement. Image credit: History of Modern Biomedicine Research Group
Grimsby’s St Andrew’s Hospice has played an essential part in a movement which has its origins as far back as the 4th Century, when religious orders offered expressions of Christian hospitality and care to travellers and to the sick. Whilst the modern hospice movement has come a long way from those origins, the features of ‘hospitality and care’ have endured and are deeply embedded in the life of St Andrew’s. The late 1960s and 1970s saw a rapid increase in the number of independent hospices opened in the UK. They were inspired
The Seventies by Dame Cicely Saunders, who had founded St Christopher’s Hospice in London, in 1967, and encouraged a radical new approach to end-of-life care. That care would combine attention to physical, social, emotional and spiritual problems, which brilliantly captured her concept of ‘total pain’, and her ideas about clinical care, education and research were hugely influential. Dame Cicely was awarded numerous prizes and awards in recognition of her humanitarian achievements. The idea of establishing a hospice in the Grimsby area was first canvassed in 1978 by Reverend Julian Dunn, then priest in charge at St Francis’ Church, Cleethorpes, and Reverend Michael Thorpe, the
Signing the trust deed, in 1979.
hospital chaplain at Grimsby General Hospital. Both Julian and Michael had observed the benefits of hospice care in other areas, together with Dr Harry Buckland who was, at that time, the GP member of the Grimsby Health Authority Management Team. They arranged a series of gatherings which culminated in a meeting held at the Scartho Road hospital, on 19th July, 1979, when 70 people were present and the decision was taken to establish a charity to be known as St Andrew’s Hospice. The name was chosen to acknowledge the seafaring traditions of the local populations for whom St Andrew’s Hospice would be both serving and drawing upon for its support. The Bishop of Grimsby, the Right Reverend David Tustin, agreed to be the first chairman and Mr E T (Ted) Ellis, a Grimsbybased solicitor, offered his professional services in relation to an application for charitable status. Two further early recruits, Jim Andrews (manager of the Co-operative Bank in Bethlehem Street) and Ian Davey, a chartered accountant, were appointed to complete the steering group as treasurer and vice-chairman respectively. Events moved forward quickly from this point. A trust deed was drafted and signed in
joined by Barbara Coxon and Michael and Mavis Silley. Michael, at that stage, was employed on the Humber bank but he was later to be ordained as a priest in the Church of England and also served as personal assistant to the Bishop of Lincoln. The Silley’s brought their young children to the day centre and we reflected on this when, 22 years later, their daughter, Michelle Rollinson, was appointed as lead nurse at the newly opened children’s unit, in 2001 and became the CEO in 2017.
December 1979, the first trustees being Harry Buckland, Ted Ellis, Jim Andrews and Ian Davey. St Andrew’s Hospice was registered as a charity early in 1980 and, with the assistance of Prue Gilbert and her district nursing team, the first day centre was opened on 26th January, 1980. This was situated at the Molson Centre in Kent Street, Grimsby, and operated on a Sunday. The day centre records show that volunteers at the opening were Harold Stanhope, Coral Coleman, Pat Booth and Val Ayres. Soon after, they were
As the volunteers worked hard to establish the new hospice, the world was teetering on the brink of a new decade. The 1970s had, at times, been a hostile and angry period. Experts view the Seventies as a time of prolonged economic turmoil for Britain, with strike action, rising inflation – which peaked at 20 per cent – and increasing unemployment blighting the horizon. Metaphorically, families had to ‘tighten their belts’ to cope. Questionably, the breadth of political divergence, the regular industrial unrest and even the emergence of the ‘punk and skinhead’ counter cultures could be interpreted as evidence of a significant cultural shift and an increasingly divided and fractious society.
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The Seventies During the 1970s, there were four prime ministers, Edward Heath, Harold Wilson, Jim Callaghan and Margaret Thatcher, and four general elections, in June 1970, February 1974, October 1974 and May 1979. Frequently, because of the dominant political ideologies and dogma of the time, the country had to cope with the consequences of recurring industrial action. Furthermore, the strikes weren’t contained to just one sector; they occurred in a diverse range of industries, such as car manufacturing, steel making and the shipyards, among others. Overall, the strikes had a farreaching and lasting impact on the wider society and communities as a whole. For example, what became known as the ‘Three-Day Week’, in early 1974, was a pretty desperate period in British history. It was introduced by the then Conservative government to conserve electricity in the face of the international 1973/74 oil crisis, brought about by the ongoing Arab/Israeli conflict and the lengthy industrial action by the United Kingdom’s coal miners. Commercial users of electricity were limited to three specified consecutive days’ consumption each week and prohibited from working longer hours on those days.
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affected the population they served. Among a diverse and wide range of other problems that emerged, refuse was left uncollected, people could not be buried because grave diggers went on strike and even the hospitals struggled to cope when nurses and ambulance drivers also joined the disputes. It was during this period that St Andrew’s Hospice would be founded.
Remembering Grimsby’s proud fishing heritage.
As you would expect, the Grimsby and Cleethorpes areas and their local industries were affected just as much as anywhere else in the country. Walking home from work, down unlit streets and roads in the dark winter months, was not a pleasant experience. With their tongues firmly in their cheeks, optimists may try to suggest it wasn’t all bad. Shops that sold candles, if you could get them, for a short time enjoyed an unexpected windfall profit! In addition to the industrial actions in both heavy and manufacturing industries, a series of disputes, which became known as ‘The Winter
of Discontent’ would have lasting consequences politically and socially throughout the country for most of the next two decades. These actions, in 1978-79, during the coldest winter for nearly twenty years, were widespread strikes by public sector workers over pay restraints and pay capping that was prompted by high levels of inflation. As a result of these actions, local and regional government started to shut down or, at the very least, ceased to function effectively. They were unable to fulfil their responsibilities to the community, which adversely
After many years of applying, in 1973 the United Kingdom became a member of what was then the European Economic Community (EEC), latterly the European Union. The Government, in January 1972, had previously agreed to the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which set quotas for each type of fish the member states of the EEC would be allowed to catch. The Common Fisheries Policy, along with the Cod Wars with Iceland – in 1972 and 1976 – had a lasting and devastating impact on the town and its workforce. Jointly, because of imposed fishing rights and quotas, they were instrumental in the demise of the Grimsby fishing industry and with it, many support industries and small businesses. Compounding the problem in those troubled times was the
The Seventies fact that the fishing industry had been struggling for a few years to put trawlers to sea, mainly because of the massively increased cost of fuel oil. In a short space of time, as a result of the aforementioned continuing Arab/Israeli conflicts, the cost of crude oil had risen from $5 a barrel to $30 a barrel. In 1976, the Government’s foreign secretary, Anthony Crosland, who also happened to be the Labour Member of Parliament (MP) for Great Grimsby, met the American secretary of state, Dr Henry Kissinger, to discuss a solution to the Cod War. Allegedly, this meeting took place in April 1976 at Blundell Park, where they had gone to watch Grimsby Town play Gillingham Town. The Mariners won 2-1 that day.
people with widely differing political viewpoints met at the hustings to elect the Member of Parliament for Great Grimsby. Staunch hospice supporter Robbie Blair, along with his wife Betty, challenged the young Yorkshire Television presenter, Austin Mitchell, for the seat. After several recounts, Austin Mitchell claimed victory by the narrowest of margins, and in the 38 years that he represented Great Grimsby, Austin Mitchell was also a dedicated and active supporter of the hospice.
Of course, it wasn’t all bad news, aggression and conflict during the 1970s. Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth’s Silver Jubilee, in 1977, demonstrated that in certain circumstances, and for the right reasons, even divided communities will come together to raise funds and generate goodwill in abundance. Consequently, a community spirit, which can best be described as a ‘feel-good factor’, often emerges; communities rose above the societal divisions and worked tirelessly to organise a
It proved to be a hollow victory because Anthony Crosland was persuaded by Kissinger, for reasons of NATO security, to agree to the Icelandic proposals and accept that there would have to be job losses on the catching side of the fishing industry. Consequently, many people, especially those living in the West Marsh and East Marsh areas of Grimsby, would soon be out of work. In 1977, following the sudden death of Anthony Crosland, two
Former Grimsby MP Austin Mitchell visiting with one of the hospice patients.
whole raft of celebratory events to honour the Queen. Grimsby and Cleethorpes responded as well as anywhere else in the country. Funds were raised by local groups or were donated by businesses for concerts, street parties, pageants, fancy dress parades and processions. It is perhaps not unrealistic to suggest, when the idea of founding St Andrew’s was first being discussed in 1978, Reverend Dunn and Reverend Thorpe may have anticipated that societal goodwill would be available and could be called upon to support the fledgling hospice. If so, they were proven to be correct. History now shows that from the basic beginnings at the Molson Centre, the continued engagement of the community and their ability and readiness to raise funds has been a major factor of the growth and development of St Andrew’s Hospice ever since. The political events of the Seventies undoubtedly contributed to the shaping of the societal attitude prevalent at the time of the founding of the hospice, and whilst so many other aspects of community have, in the present day, been absorbed by the statutory authorities, the hospices in the UK have stayed firmly within the
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At one time of day, there would have been very little space to moor boats on the dock - the port was one of the busiest of its kind in the world. Image: Grimsby Telegraph. Above right, the hospice logo with a dove served the charity well for many decades, until a brand overhaul in more recent times.
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voluntary sector. Their funding through the generosity of local people has enabled communities to invest in the dignity of those with life-limiting illnesses and, in a very real way, the history of St Andrew’s Hospice is a reflection of the kindness of the people who have worked so hard to keep it. ‘Making each day count’ is more than just a slogan. The hospice has been, and continues to be, blessed by gifted individuals who have overcome challenges and created a centre of hospitality and care of which our community can be proud.
It was the era of raves, mullet haircuts and perms, Madonna, ra ra skirts, leg warmers, Back To The Future and the unlikely pairing of a cassette tape and a Bic pen! Teenage dance fans were contemplating welding courses, thanks to the likes of the movie Flashdance, while music lovers flicked through Smash Hits and Melody Maker, dreaming of a coveted spot in the crowd on Top Of The Pops. The feel-good factor generated by the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, just four years before, emerged yet again with the wedding of HRH Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, on 29th July, 1981. The United Kingdom had a national holiday on that day to mark the occasion. It was estimated that the ‘fairytale’ wedding was watched by a global television audience of over 750 million people. Along with thousands of festivities that were held throughout the Commonwealth worldwide, many street parties, carnivals, galas and similar events were organised in the United Kingdom to celebrate the marriage.
The TheEighties 1980s
1980 - 1989
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The Eighties Back in Grimsby, the first employee, Yvonne Wright, joined the hospice in May 1981, as part time co-ordinator and fundraiser. The Sunday hospice sessions at the Molson Centre had continued for four years, during which time the local community became increasingly supportive of the charity and its plans for a permanent base. The dream was to find somewhere to accommodate both day and in-patient care. Individuals and organisations raised money to enable the search for suitable premises to begin, which included Robbie and Betty Blair hosting a very popular, annual summer garden party at their Healing home. Many other events, such as this, also became established fixtures in the hospice diary during the Eighties. Worthy of comment is the fact that, in the early days of the hospice, the East Marsh, geographically and demographically, was very different from the present day. Back in the day, amongst the terraced two-up, two-down back-to-back housing, which was destined to be demolished, there were 18 public houses all within a half mile radius of the Molson Centre. Many of these had been built during the latter part of the nineteenth century as the old town grew, with the rapid
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The famous Humber Bridge, which was once the longest single span suspension bridge in the world.
expansion of the fishing industry. Much favoured pubs, such as the Lincoln Arms, Coach and Horses, The Albion, Prince of Wales, The Humber Hotel, the Red Lion and The Robin Hood Inn, to name but a few, have long gone as the area around Freeman Street changed and initially went into decline. Less than a handful of those 18 public houses now remain. What was happening on the East Marsh, coupled with the ongoing development of the town’s Riverhead Centre, was indicative of the rapidly changing
nature of a town that St Andrew’s Hospice was ultimately destined to serve. In the Humberside region, engineers and commuters rejoiced side by side as the Humber Bridge, which had been under construction since 1972, opened to traffic on June 24th, 1981. It was officially opened by the Queen, on July 17th, less than two weeks before the wedding of her eldest son, Charles. The Humber toll bridge omitted the need for the ferries across
the river – which was quite sad for those with fond memories of trips over the water to ‘ull – but it put the area firmly on the map for being the world’s longest single-span road suspension bridge (2.22km) at the time. TV presenter and former Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson remains a huge fan! It is worth mentioning that multi-millionaire TV presenter Jeremy has another link to our area. The late Peter Moore – one of the Grimsby Telegraph’s best
The Eighties known and longest serving editors, and an avid supporter of the hospice – interviewed a young man called Mr Clarkson for a junior reporter position, when the Top Gear ace was looking for his first break into journalism. Peter turned him down! A new heir to the throne arrived in 1982, little Prince William, while Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost dominated the F1 headlines during the later years of the decade. Prominent among the early supporters of the hospice were Roger and Margaret Davison, from Scartho, who opened their Bulwick Avenue gardens for a plant sale each spring. Late in 1983, Margaret passed on to the trustees the news that Beech Farm House, in Waltham Road, Scartho, would be coming on
The Countess of Yarborough opens St Andrew’s Hospice at The Beeches
HRH Princess Diana opens Grimsby’s new district hospital, in Scartho Road. Image credit: Grimsby Telegraph
the market for sale and that the owner, a Mrs Girling, would look favourably on the hospice as a purchaser, if the property was considered suitable for its purposes. By this time, the hospice funds had risen to over £50,000. Gordon Smith, of Sir Charles Nicholson and Rushton, was commissioned to survey the property and assess its suitability for extension and conversion for hospice use. His report was encouraging and in February 1984, ‘The Beeches’, as it became known, was purchased and an extensive conversion programme commenced alongside a period of increased fundraising activity. The idea was to open the hospice as a day centre only, in the first instance, and
Eileen Nicholl – affectionately known as Sister Nick – was appointed as the first sister in charge with responsibility for staff recruitment and forward planning. It was hoped that the first day care patients could be welcomed before the end of that year.
professional skills and experience to the new position of volunteer social worker. At around the same time, the Reverend David Lewis became the first hospice chaplain. Sheila Brydges, who had been involved with the hospice from its earliest days, remembers a quote from David Lewis at one of the first hospice services, when he said: “Faith, laughter, hard work, and life – all these are there, side by side. Strangely, death is not predominant.” The previous year, in July 1983, HRH Diana, Princess of Wales, made her first visit to Grimsby to officially open the new treatment and care facilities of the District General Hospital. It had been planned since the 1970s, to build
The Beeches opened its doors on 14th October, 1984, with the formal opening by Lord and Lady Yarborough. This important milestone was widely publicised, not least of all in the Grimsby Evening Telegraph, which had given regular and welcome coverage to the hospice since its inception in 1979. The first part time medical director, Dr Paul Heath, was appointed, alongside Joyce Walker who brought her
The Beeches, in Waltham Road.
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The Eighties this modern facility on the site adjacent to what had formerly been, in the nineteenth century, Grimsby’s workhouse infirmary. As a modern hospital and medical provision, it was an important development for the area. Meanwhile, the hospice day centre flourished and the first hospice shop was opened in Grimsby, in 1985, but by the beginning of 1986 it was clear that there was an ever-increasing need for in-patient facilities at The Beeches. With further assistance and guidance from Gordon Smith, plans for inpatient rooms were prepared and approved.
Unlike the 1970s, which had been a decade of conflict, the 1980s may be remembered for being the time when a series of high profile fundraising events took place or were inaugurated. The emergence of a wider, more compassionate and empathetic awareness of the plight and needs of others suggested a changing social and cultural mind-set. Fundraising for a wide variety of good causes by the general public, and society as a whole, began in earnest. For example, BBC Children in Need is the BBC’s UK charity, which has raised more than £1,000 million for disadvantaged children and young people in the UK, since it began in 1980. For nearly 40
years it has been a prominent event in British culture. Children in Need is one of several, high-profile fundraising British telethons, including Red Nose Day and Sport Relief, which both support Comic Relief. The latter was founded in 1985 by comedy scriptwriter Richard Curtis and comedian Lenny Henry, in response to the famine in Ethiopia and it was first broadcast as a telethon in 1988 and is now a major UK charity with a vision of a just world, free from poverty. Arguably one of the most high profile events of its day, which ultimately led to similar events worldwide, was Band Aid, formed
Memories from the minutes Dorothy Looby was appointed as sister in charge of the new facility, which welcomed its first patients on 12th December, 1986. The advent of in-patient care increased the annual running costs from £18,000 to £150,000 overnight! The substantial increase in expenditure very quickly led the trustees to the realisation that an experienced and full time fundraising person should be employed, and this resulted in the appointment of Ros Bishop (later Ros Hodson) as appeal director, on March 1st, 1987. Ros had a management background and recent fundraising experience with Help the Aged. Under her
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guidance, the increased revenue required to run the expanding range of services offered was quickly achieved. The year also saw the retirement of Reverend David Lewis as the hospice chaplain and the hospice welcomed Reverend Harold Jones in his place. This turned out to be a relatively short appointment as Harold moved from his curacy at St Giles, Scartho, but his successor Reverend Tim Thompson was happy to be nominated in his stead, a position he was to hold until February, 1991.
in 1984 by musician Bob Geldof. Band Aid was a charity supergroup featuring mainly British and Irish recording artists. It was founded to draw attention to the anti-famine efforts in Ethiopia and raised an astounding £8 million (in the first 12 months) after the release of the song ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ This manner of fundraising caught the imagination of the public and led to the benefit concerts Live Aid, in the UK, and The USA for Africa, which were held simultaneously in London and Philadelphia, in the summer of 1985. Jointly, both the records, which have since been re-released several times, and the two benefit concerts, raised in excess of £200 million. Today, the range of fundraising needs and initiatives which are being brought to the public’s attention by the media, almost on a daily basis, is metaphorically endless. More significantly, the role and the power that television and social media has in initially raising awareness of the issues, and then appealing for funds to address those issues, is brought emphatically into sharp focus. The relevance of this to St Andrew’s Hospice is the appreciation that no matter how much goodwill there is, locally or nationally, there is a finite limit to
The Eighties cause, and vice versa. In this respect, the appointment of the St Andrew’s ‘Appeal Director’ quickly proved a wise decision. The Grimsby Gazette, on its front page dated 12th May, 1988, reported: “St Andrew’s Hospice has raised an amazing £150,000 in the last year due to the marvellous enthusiasm and continuing generosity of local people.” By the time the development of The Beeches was completed, in 1987, it could accommodate five inpatients together with ten day patients.
The second hospice shop, in Cambridge Street, Cleethorpes.
what people can, or will, donate at any given time. The hospice has to compete with other charities for funds. Every £1 the hospice receives is potentially £1 less for another equally deserving
In the wider world, other events were attracting attention during this period. Significantly in Britain, Michael Fish, a very experienced presenter of the weather on BBC television, somehow managed to ‘miss’ the Great Storm of 1987 – the “violent extratopical cyclone” caused damage which ultimately cost £2 billion and reduced the famous Sevenoaks to a solitary one oak! The now infamous
weather predication went as follows …
ski jump events he came last, by a country mile!
“Early on today, apparently a woman rang the BBC and said she had heard a hurricane was on the way,” smirked Mr Fish. “Well I can assure people watching, don’t worry, there isn’t.”
In just about every respect, Michael Edwards was the quintessential, slightly eccentric, totally self-funded, enthusiastic British amateur. ‘Eddie’ was only 5ft 8in tall and disadvantaged by his weight – at 82kg he was more than 9kg heavier than the next heaviest competitor. Another problem, was that he was very near-sighted, and had to wear thick, ‘bottle-bottomed’ glasses under his snow goggles. These would mist up at altitude, thereby impairing his vision. At the Olympic closing ceremony, the president of the organising committee singled Michael Edwards out for his contribution by saying: “Some of you soared like an eagle.”
The spring of 1988 saw the opening of a second hospice shop, this time in Cambridge Street. Achieved through the united efforts of ladies from St Peter’s Church and St Andrew’s Methodist Church, a special mention should be made of Gwen Davison and Marjorie Mason, both of whom were already active supporters of the hospice and worked enthusiastically to attract both items for sale and customers to the new premises. The £150,000 raised that year was an increase of 238 per cent of any previous years’ income. By the winter months, the world was going crazy for a most unlikely Olympian hero. Michael Edwards, who became known as ‘Eddie the Eagle’, was an English skier who, at the Winter Olympic Games in Calgary, became the first competitor since 1928 to represent Great Britain in the ski jumping. Although he was the British record holder, which in world distance terms was quite insignificant and didn’t mean much, in both the 70m and 90m
Towards the end of the decade, as the 10th anniversary of its founding approached, consideration was being given by the trustees as to how the hospice should move forward to secure its future. Regardless of the expanded accommodation and patient support that was available at the Beeches, it had been recognised that in the longer term the acquisition of larger and better equipped premises and facilities was
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The Eighties imperative. It was acknowledged that to generate the substantial funds needed for any new development, a special, high profile appeal for funding would be required. Subsequently, the ‘Time to Care Appeal’, which had a target of £500,000, was launched in June, 1988. It was also realised that going forward, a wider range of knowledge and community representation would be necessary if St Andrew’s was to expand and deliver the various services that were envisaged. In addition, a specialised management committee would be formed.
now in full swing. Ros Bishop, in her 1989 report, made reference to support received from pubs, clubs, schools, churches, companies, Brownie packs and marathon runners. The TSB Bank donated, and an evening at Joan Fenwick’s home boosted funds further as did a Beaujolais run and evening. Chartdale Homes organised a hugely successful ten pin bowling marathon. The generosity of the local people was overwhelming and when the appeal was finally closed in April, 1990, the total received or pledged amounted to a whopping £590,000.
Our shop in Freshney Place, Grimsby.
words e t into u p e lif o t y whol icult f f m i d n i er s, Meanwhile, in the town centre, ery With the Countess “It is v s. I have nev ful kindnes an r g e m n refurbishment was afoot! The d u i l h n e of Yarborough at the he my fe red such wo e for fellow ou at t y v e Riverhead Centre was being h t o t l i n helm as president, d w encou ent an g my stay eceived r m I e t g renovated and was to be r a o r n Dennis Petchell, Chesney encou s I did duri n and comf ed me to g o a enclosed. The new-look i a t s r Brocklesby and John being encou inspira all the centre was opened in 1989 e. The py man and e my love to so the Ross took on the roles hospic giv d al e a hap n s e a a e – and subsequently won an m l l e u . P of vice presidents of the mad onderf me courage. things w o e t r a p award for its design. Roads u ey ve new ‘Appeal Committee’. face taff, th r courage ga t Andrew’s. .” s g n and buildings around the i hei Alan Hodson from Conoco tS ork nurs nts. T t my stay a rful w e e i d t a n area have since changed or o p rw ge accepted the invitation to day ver for u all in you e n l l moved, but Freshney Place a yo chair the committee. During I sh d bless o G essentially remains the same. y the first few months, an Ma
and created extensive societal divisions throughout the length and breadth of the United Kingdom. So much so, it was almost impossible not to have a differing viewpoint on two of the major issues of the time. Support for the ten week war (April 1982 - June 1982) between Argentina and the UK over two British dependent territories, the Falkland Islands and South Georgia in the South Atlantic and, then the Miners’ Strike (March 1984 - March 1985), split the nation.
Pressure on space at the Waltham Road premises was now acute but alleviated by a splendid garden room extension – a gift from Grimsby Round Table. The second half of 1989 was also a period of intense activity with the special appeal
The impact of the latter saw whole communities torn apart that were destined never to recover. Although both events happened nearly half a generation ago, even now, for some, there is still a legacy of raw emotions, whereas for others
amazing £60,000 had been raised.
The anniversary was looming and it was an opportunity to reflect on the impact that the hospice was having on the local community, and on the lives of those suffering from life limiting conditions. Les Ellis had worked
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on the fish docks all his life and had been ill for a long time, lovingly cared for by his family. When his need for constant pain control necessitated his move into the hospice, his condition improved and he went home for a short visit to attend his grandson’s birthday party. He returned to the hospice early in the evening and died shortly afterwards. This letter was found in his hand, and reprinted in the 1988 hospice report:
Today, the hospice has a lovely shop within the award-winning walls of Freshney Place, so be sure to visit the next time you are shopping! Unavoidably, during the early years of the 1980s, politics and conflict still greatly influenced public opinions and attitudes
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The Eighties to Grimsby. Like the London Marathon, many of its 2,500 runners on that day were running for charity and local good causes. The Humber Bridge marathon was held annually and continued to raise funds for charities until interest waned away in 1993. To really appreciate the bigger picture and enormous scale of sponsored running today, the number of half marathons and races of shorter distances, which attracts runners who are fundraising, must always be included.
Runners at a London Marathon, above, and NELC’s Rob Walsh, right, who competed in the 2019 event. Picture inset: Dr BD Massey presents a cheque after his London Marathon efforts in the Nineties.
it was considered a positive time. A political dichotomy that was, and still is, so very far apart! On a far brighter note, from a fund-generating perspective and relevant to St Andrew’s, the establishment of the London Marathon in 1981 created a phenomenon, which continues to this day. Since its founding, more than £955 million has been raised by the London Marathon alone for charity. Over the years, along with many other charities, the hospice has benefited from these funds and is likely to continue to do so in the years to come. The
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London Marathon is now one of the most popular races in the world, with approximately 35,000 sponsored runners going to the start line each year. In 2019, the 40th anniversary year of the hospice, Rob Walsh, the joint chief executive officer of the North East Lincolnshire Clinical Commissioning Group and North East Lincolnshire Council, completed the marathon raising funds through sponsorship for St Andrew’s. Rob expressed the hope that sponsorship would
enable him to give much needed support for the hospice, which he described as “a fantastic organisation that does amazing things every day”. Following on from London’s lead, nowadays, more than a hundred and forty marathons are run annually in the United Kingdom, with all but the race’s elite runners running for various charities. Locally, to celebrate the opening of the Humber Bridge in July 1981, an inaugural marathon was run from Hull
Undoubtedly, the sponsored running phenomenon is now a major means of generating funds. From a charity’s point of view, it has become almost a business itself. Even though most charities began to benefit, and will continue to benefit, from all this goodwill, conversely it put pressure on them to constantly find the means to attract runners and other fundraisers to their particular cause. To cover ever increasing administration costs and counter what the competition was doing, charities quickly realised that they had to employ professional fund raisers to promote and market themselves. The 1980s were not just a period of considerable sociocultural change. Advances in the
The Eighties means of communicating, the expansion of information technology and use of computers accelerated extensive changes in the manner in which things were done, and would be done in the future. Not least amongst these significant technological transformations was the ongoing development and widespread use of mobile telephones. Even though many of the technological changes initially took place in the Eighties, arguably the most farreaching developments, which impacted on the hospice and society in general and, continues to do so to this day, occurred in the 1990s and beyond. As it is especially relevant to medical provision and societal well-being, the historical narrative of the 1980s cannot be concluded without reference to HIV and AIDS. The HIV/ AIDS epidemic proved to be catastrophic and has had a lifelong impact on many individuals, communities and hospitals and hospices throughout the world. No doubt many people will remember the powerful, chilling television adverts with the falling tombstone and John Hurt’s (a Grimsby man) doom-laden voiceover, along with the strap line: ‘AIDS don’t die of ignorance’. On a lighter note, the Grimsby
Being a wartime drama set on a busy airbase, hundreds of local people were cast as extras in many of the film’s scenes. Ask around; you will be surprised at how many of your relatives or friends were involved in the popular movie, which ultimately made $27million at the US box office.
One of the hangars at RAF Binbrook today, where the Memphis Belle is noted.
area became a magnet for filmmakers during the Eighties, with John Cleese and Penelope Wilton heading to the town for the making of the 1986 film Clockwise, while towards the end of the decade, America came a-calling with US stars Matthew Modine, Eric Stoltz and Harry Connick Jr. These well-known actors arrived to shoot the 1990 blockbuster film ‘Memphis Belle’ at the former RAF Binbrook airfield, which had sadly closed the year before.
For those travelling to Grimsby from further afield, reaching the hospice became much easier when the A180, an extension of the M180 motorway, opened in the early Eighties. The M180 was completed several years earlier, running from the M18 near Doncaster through to Brigg, while the new extension through to Grimsby was classed as a dual carriageway, as opposed to a motorway. The first section to inch closer to Grimsby was the Brigg to Ulceby part of the new road – it cost £18 million and was 6 miles long. The final section ran from Ulceby to Grimsby, cost £21 million and was 7 miles long. Both parts of the A180 were opened in 1983. Since then, rarely has a section of road been so controversial! Whilst it made travel to and from the rest of the UK much easier, for those working in other towns, and for haulage businesses and the like, it transpired that
the A180 had been made from cheaper materials than those on the M180. It is prone to cracking and makes a lot of noise inside a vehicle. In 2017, the Grimsby Telegraph conducted an experiment to see just how loud the surface was and they reported: “... the decibel level would drop to around 75 decibels on the smoother sections and rose to 92 decibels on the roughest parts of the road, which is an equivalent noise of an alarm clock going off next to your head – and almost as loud as a passenger jet flying 1,000ft over your head.” In 2018, it was announced that the “noisiest road in England” would be resurfaced, at a cost of £10 million. We couldn’t possibly leave the era of Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan’s Neighbours without the mention of the less famous but infinitely more controversial MV Ross Revenge. Used during the Cod Wars, and owned by Ross Fisheries, the former North Sea trawler became a new base for Radio Caroline, the famed pirate radio station known for floating about the international waters around Britain’s coast. Radio Caroline was founded in 1964, by Irish music manager Ronan O’Rahilly, to get around
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The Eighties the absolute control of record companies with pop music in broadcasting. Many radio stations were committed to playing music only from sponsoring labels, which infuriated some of the smaller, independent labels appearing across the country’s major towns and cities. The station was initially backed financially by six investors, one of whom was Cleethorpes businessman Carl ‘Jimmy’ Ross, founder of Ross Foods. The MV
Ross Revenge (GY 718) wasn’t used by the station until the years between 1983 and 1991, after the Fredericia and the MV Mi Amigo, which subsequently sank! There are many stories to be told about Radio Caroline, which include manslaughter, sinking, running aground and being tailed by the UK Department of Trade and Industry. It also saw the likes of DJs Tony Blackburn and Dave Lee Travis walk its decks.
The MV Ross Revenge, which is now moored off the island of West Mersea, in Essex.
Despite a period during the Nineties, and the ethos of the station changing rather radically since its beginnings, Radio Caroline is still going strong in GY 718! The MV Ross Revenge
is, in 2019, moored off the coast of West Mersea, Essex, and is occasionally open to inquisitive visitors and fans of the original pirate radio station – who would’ve guessed?
Memories from the minutes It is interesting to note the changes that had taken place in the overall management of the hospice during the first 10 years. The four original trustees, Harry Buckland, Ted Ellis, Jim Andrews and Ian Davey, had quickly realised that a wider range of knowledge and community representation would be required if the hospice were to expand and deliver the various services that were envisaged. A management committee was formed with Drs John Clark and Paul Heath, supporting Harry Buckland. Prue Gilbert joined together with Marion Smith and Pat Mason, both senior members of her district nursing team. Two of the original volunteer helpers, Sheila Brydges and Harold Stanhope, accepted invitations to join the committee along with Dorothy Blow, Doreen Hall and Joyce Walker. Peggy Booth became secretary. The illustrated annual report for 1988 also names the committee of ‘The Friends of St Andrew’s Hospice’, chaired by Sheila Brydges, which was to play an important role in the life of the hospice.
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The group worked alongside ‘The Good Companions’, led by Yvonne Wright and Dorothy Blow. Both of these groups included members with strong community ties, which proved invaluable both with fundraising and increasing public awareness. Further changes within the management team followed Sister Looby’s retirement, in March, 1989. Ros Bishop was appointed as General Manager with Alison Gyte becoming Nursing Team Leader, with special responsibility for leading and developing the nursing team in the in-patient unit. Sister Nicholls had indicated her intention to retire in the autumn, and Staff Nurse Mary McLeod was welcomed as the new Day Care Co-ordinator. Doctor Jill Warren succeeded Paul Heath as Medical Director and Ray Hastie became treasurer following the retirement of Jim Andrews. Doreen Hall took over the leadership of ‘The Friends’, which enabled Sheila Brydges to become secretary of the management committee.
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