YOUR TALES AND THOUGHTS

Remember, you can now instantly add your
own tales etc to the Message Board as well.

We have always had an interesting postbag containing tales and comments from people all over the place, and what the CRCMH means to them. Reproduced here are a number of your mails - presented so as to give an idea of how different people perceive either the tale of The Flincher, the hospital itself, or even just this website in general. Some stories may have been edited by us in order to keep them concise. Check out the archive for older tales dating backbefore the existence of this website (though the Flincher accounts were obviously online elsewhere at the time).

Freaked

My memory of most actual events at the CRCMH is a bit vague . I do remember it was summer but it must have been late summer as it was dark that evening. I had come up with a few mates and we bunked each other up over the wall as per usual - but I wasn't with the usual Pwürg people I knew, and I didn't know my way round enough at nite. My past experiences had been wandering around in the day, and I remember the warped floor in the hall and the broken piano with the really eerie sound - not to mention x-rays, stretchers and a Resusci-Ann doll.

As we walked towards the main hospital building, I knew something dodgy was going on coz I had seen Professor Isaac Mangang's car parked some way up the road. This should have made me chill out as the Pwürg lot were probably there, and that anything dodgy would have been down to them. I heard some faint noises coming from the upstairs of the building and a few of us stopped walking. At this point I was in two minds - it's probably the wind or it's Pwürg upstairs fucking about. We carried on and went inside the front, where we walked down some corridors and went into the chapel - where "conveniently" there was a large black candle, lit and placed in an alcove. This was very poor, very tacky and sorry - but everyone knew that it was crap and that it was highly likely that Pwürg put it there - but where were they now?

I suppose that to be fair it set our minds thinking in the right way though. We left the chapel and walked down the other corridors and just snooped about. We went upstairs with our torches which had low battery power - all we had was dim orange light. We heard noises upstairs, and this started to freak me coz Julie and I were actually looking for people hiding up there but there didn't seem to be anyone there. We decided to go downstairs again - too spooky.

We were back in the main corridor downstairs and had stopped walking when, for no apparent reason, a length of chain which had been hanging from the ceiling decided to drop on my shoulder. This freaked me out biggie styley. After that I heard a noise upstairs - and that was it! Off I went out the door, across the front and over the wall. Normally I needed a bunk up to get over that wall, but that night six foot of brick was not a problem - I wanted out. However, I would like to point out that Peter beat me over the wall, so he was obviously more crappo than me!

I can't really remember what I was thinking. Half of me knew that Pwürg were or had been there, but I was just sooo spooked out. The chain falling on me was just bad luck as I remember speaking to someone like MC 1201 afterwards who said that they had hung the chain there, but the fact that it fell on me was pure chance as they had all been hiding upstairs. Maybe it wasn't just luck - could've been The Flincher!? That's my memory of it anyway.

Miss G.G
Maidenhead, England
18th March 2002

Note from Webmaster:

It's great to finally hear about the events surrounding this Pwürg organized prank on a bunch of girls - so thanks immensely "G.G" for your recollection. I will point out, however, that although there's a lot in there that sounds familiar, there's a couple of things I'd like to add.

Firstly, I am absolutely convinced that the above events occured during the daytime. I'd bet my life on it. It may have been very late afternoon - setting sun and long shadows - but there's no way that it was the dead of night or anything - we're not that cruel. I vividly recall us setting up around lunchtime, wandering about the place with our walkie-talkies like producers on a film set. Remember though that some internal parts of the CRCMH are still very dark in daylight hours - not that it has to be dark in order to scare people. I also clearly remember actually watching the "victims" run to the wall from upstairs - which would have been virtually impossible at night.

Secondly, I keep thinking that we did something else involving a dummy on that occasion (getting the idea from that fake corpse in the Animal Lab). Maybe we didn't, but the idea rings all sorts of bells, and of course, there's no saying that the dummy part of the prank actually worked - if there was one in the first place. Perhaps it was just moaning and chains after all. Either way, it's wonderful to have some kind of clarification on this obscure and long forgotten incident (it only came back to me whilst compiling the Virtual Tour) - and it's equally as gratifying to hear that I was stupid enough to practicallly give the whole game away by not hiding my car properly. Typical...

Best

I get a lot of e-mail from people who have set up sites about explorations in the UK, and most of the time, it's one page of pictures. I have to say, however, that your site is probably the best disused building site I have seen.

It looks like an amazing place you've got there, that long corridor is quite impressive. Some of the pictures really remind me of Cane Hill in the summer time. The virtual tour really helps you get to know the building, setting the scene for the rest of the site. You've got the balance of text and pictures just right, complementing each other, which is a rare find on the internet.

The thing that has impressed me most is that your site freaked me out, properly. After reading your account of The Flincher, I genuinely felt on edge. I have never experienced something like that - so real and physical - when exploring, but there have been a few times where I have had similar experiences. Your account reminded me of them - and made me want to go exploring again.

Keep up the work on it, it's a great resource, and the only website I think I've read every page of in a while. Thanks.

Mr A.T
England
20th March 2002

Note from Webmaster:

Mr A.T is South London's foremost urban exploration guru - and by Cane Hill, he's referring to one of the most impressive abandoned hospitals you'll ever see (almost puts ours to shame actually) - check out his excellent website and have a look for yourself at Urbex UK. You won't regret it.

Mad

Thank-u so much for putting a CRCMH Website out. It's really mad reading all the tales thats people write, and seeing your photographs.

I live quite nearby and was born there in 1981 and virtually everyone else I know was too. I have been inside so many times. Your old photos look similar to mine, some virtually identical, but there's a little more graffiti over the place now.

I also had a bad experience in the Animal lab. I was reading a tale on your site where someone said they heard banging and the noise forced them out. I too had a similar experience. A tear came to my eye whilst reading their story. It was a settled day. The sun was shining and it was really warm. March 28th 2000 to be exact, because it was my brother's birthday, and he was born there too. It was a really quite eerie atmosphere coz all you could hear were the trees rustling. But as we came towards the Animal lab, loud noises circulated the the lab and the doors just banged furiously...... I was shit scared !!!

Miss J.A
Taplow, England
29th April 2002

Mist

I found you only yesterday and I am delighted. I was a Cadet nurse/Student nurse/SRN at the CRCMH from 1948-1952. We were frequently visited by Lady Astor. As a sixteen-years old Cadet nurse my first monthly pay-packet contained £3 19 6. We worked six days a week and it was a wonderful life. The Nursing and Medical care was the finest I have ever encountered.

In the near future I will compile a list of facts that may be of interest. For example: Your 'Grand Corridor' was said to be a 1/4 mile long. On a murky morning I could not see the opposite end for mist. And memories of skinny dipping in the river by moonlight...

Mrs J.H
Wales
1st May 2002

Linford

My dad got a job at Wexham Park Hospital in about 1982/3 so we all had to move down South. He moved into the old Taplow Lodge building and tried to find a house while we stayed in Birmingham. Eventually the hospital found him a house, just round the corner from CRCMH and Taplow Lodge. He knew quite a few people who worked at CRCMH. In fact, even our next door neighbour did. Plus he still knew the people at Taplow Lodge, so I spent quite a lot of time there when they were both open. Can't remember a great deal about them as I was a bit young, but Taplow Lodge was a laugh - barbecues in the back garden in the summer and all that. They even gave is one of their table tennis tables when it closed down.

Anyway, thats just a bit of crap about my life history, nothing to do with my story. So what is my story? It must have been when I was in 4th or 5th year at Desborough, some time in the summer as it was a really nice day. Me, Dunc and Rob were a bit bored and thought we'd get our bikes out and go for a bit of a ride. Some of Rob's other friends had told him about the CRCMH, about how you just climb over the wall and can look round and all that, so we thought we'd give it a bash. We cycled over there, not really that far from where we lived (Taplow and Burnham area), locked the bikes up in some bush on the opposite side of the road, climbed over the walls with glass on, I seem to remember the glass being a bit worn down on the bit we climbed over so it wasn't to bad.

When you said the bit about no noises, even birds, it was definitely true. Very odd, especially as this was an absolutely gorgeous day weather wise. Our main concern was the security guards, we'd heard the stories about how they'd patrol the grounds with their dogs. We saw the Group 4 signs and they had a shit reputation even then so we weren't too worried about them. Basically we got to the main building, through the main entrance I think, and had a bit a wander around - mostly the main corridor area and the rooms coming off.

Standard stuff really, lots of old bits and bobs on the floor, red paint on the walls in one room which Rob was convinced was the work of devil worshipers, but looked like someone had just chucked red paint on the wall. Anyway here's the reason I'm writing...

We were at the end of the main corridor (right hand side if your looking at it from the front), when there was an almightly bang from upstairs. Up to this point in the day we really hadn't heard anything at all in the hospital - "not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse," you could say. Within a second of the bang Rob shouted "leg it!" and all three of us dropped everything and sprinted full pelt down the length of the entire corridor. I'm pretty sure we all could have beaten even Linford Christie that day. We ran to the end of the main corridor, through some double doors somewhere and back across the car park, stopping at the wall.

In all honestly, at the time we just thought it was the security guard with his dog. But as we saw no signs of any security people, cars or a control hut, we weren't too sure what it was. The bang could of been anything, something falling over, someone else upstairs jumping, anything, but it did scare the shit out of us for a couple of minutes. We waited by the wall for a few minutes to catch our breath and watch to see if anything came out of the hospital but nothing did so we just climbed over the wall, got our bikes and went home.

A couple of weeks later, we went back to the area. But we didn't bother going to CRCMH. We had a look round Taplow Lodge instead. Nothing to tell there apart from the floor collapsing which made us piss ourselves. Anyway that's all really, just thought I'd tell you, we heard a bang, none of the groaning that you did, mind you we didn't bloody hang around to long to find out. Just one question - going there at night, are you mad?

As for another place of interest, it was rumoured that Taplow Church was haunted and the vicar had seen the ghost. You can't miss the church, big green copper spire you can see for miles. There was also a fairly big vaguely stately home thing at the end of Hunts Wood Lane, might have been called Hitcham Abbey. The rooms were rented out similar to Taplow Lodge, it had loads of grounds you could walk round as well, one story of a lion roaming the grounds that had escaped from Windsor Safari Park. There's also an old bomb shelter in the middle of field near Hitcham church thats a bit odd.

Cheers.

Mr R.O
Edinburgh, Scotland
2nd May 2002

Obsessed

I have become quite obsessed with the hospital. Most, maybe even all, of my mates were born there and the latest birth I've found so far is one born there on December 16th 1985.

I don't know how you went in there a night, but I respect you loads for it. We tried going one night and we thought we'd get buzzin' (high) before we went, but that just made us paranoid. My boyfriend got out first and said that he could see some red lights, at first I thought he was just trying to scare us, and I thought of The Flincher story, but then I realised that he hasn't read it yet. Infrared lights are used to detect ghosts!

The very first time I went, there was me and 4 guys. We climbed over and were about to go inside when one of my mates said he saw something move, and we could hear a strange noise so we just ran. Everyone that I know that has been to the hospital before it closed down said it was scary and run down then. And to be honest you can't even imagine it to have been a hospital. It really is truly scary now. On your Virtual Tour the building wasn't in the state it is now.

The scariest thing was when we went to the hospital it was about midnight, and we were driving along the road next to the hospital when we saw a very old lady riding a bicycle. That scared the shit out of us, and we started saying how she was the ghost of a nurse that used to ride to work on her bike everyday.

P.S I love your website.

Miss A.K
Maidenhead, England
3rd May 2002

Bang

I hadn't heard many spooky stories about the hospital, so I thought I'd check out more about it on the net and came across your site. I have since read almost every page - very informative, especially the photo archives, and stories from other people.

I've just finished reading your experience of what you've called "The Flincher." I myself have never experienced anything like this, though I thought I'd inform you that some friends of mine visited recently late at night - some had been there before - but I preferred to stay in the car where it was safer!

The reception was still strewn with records dating back to 1970, and there is one room which has no floor - just quite a large drop, there is also believed to be a room, blood stained with words similar to "I cut myself in here". Your lovely "Satanic" drawing is still there too.

These friends also visited the maternity wing (myself and two other friends were born there in 1984) - and had an extreme feeling of feeling very at home - being connected with the room that they had been born in.

All I can say is, you were very brave to revisit the hospital again and again! I could only once muster up the courage to climb over the gates!! Interestingly, from the stories of other people, a friend of mine that went into the hospital recently said he was spooked by this loud bang he heard - it was in the daytime and the group wasn't aware that anyone else was looking round the ruins either. He's not scared easily but he thought he saw another person so made a run for it. Quite a few of the stories mention hearing a loud bang or a definite noise.

Miss G.H
Maidenhead, England
15th May 2002

Must

Your site really sums up urban exploration for me. I find the "we broke in, we took some photos, we evaded security and then we did some shopping" sites a little frustrating. The CRCHM site however allows the casual surfer to really sink their teeth in. And I still laugh about the tale of Winkipop Cottages and the sign.

I run a few websites, and I get more and more picky about what gets put into the links section - but The Shrine is a must. As far as quality UK urban exploration goes, there's your good selves and Urbex and that's really about it at the moment.

And Ray is a star - that shines out. ;-)

All the best.

Mr S.C
England
27th June 2002

Skull

I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed browsing your site, it has been most interesting...no make that intriguing. Have you ever noticed that in your "Virtual Tour - Part 10: Boiler Room & Yard," the very first picture you show on this page - of one of the boilers - actually has what appears to be a skull outlined over the entire right hand side of the shot? Just a thought, but maybe my imagination has run a little wild :)

Miss.G
Australia
16th August 2002

Note from Webmaster:

Well spotted (but I assure you it's just the boiler) - go and have a look everyone...

 

Goose

I was at the hospital last night (18. 8. 02) and something strange happened to me and my friends. I was there with four boys and three girls - naturally the girls were scared, so they stayed outside while the blokes went inside.

We went in through the main entrance which had chains on so we had to cut them . We went through the first room and through a plastic sheet which must have recently been erected because the workmen's tools and lights were still lying along the corridor.

When we got to the the end of the corridor, I started to get goose-pimples and one of my friends said he had them too. We then stopped and I spoke to my other two friends who said they could also feel something too. We decided to get out of there and went back to the girls.

When we spoke to them they said that they had felt the same thing, so we all decided to leave. I didn't even know this website existed until I surfed in right now - and I don't think that I'll be going back to the hospital ever again after what I have read.

I just thought that you might want to know about my experience.

Mr A.E
Maidenhead, England
19th August 2002

Note from Webmaster:

Thanks for sharing that Mr A.E - and yes, goosebumps are a fairly universal condition when it comes to CRCMH exploration - as are loud bangs (apparently).

Cars

Excellent site, I first picked up on it through a workmate, and have just spent a good hour going through it. However maybe I can add an interesting chapter to it.

Does your knowledge of the local area go as far as deepest Cippenham? I used to work at the Peugeot garage at 372 Bath Road (now closed). Opposite the garage, on the other side of the Bath Road was Webbs Garage (363 Bath Road). This was a ramshackled wooden building owned by my father, Eric Webb and his two brothers. It was handed down from his father William. William used to live in this one storey wooden building before building a bungalow elsewhere on the property, and turning the wooden one into a motorcycle and then car garage. Boring so far?

Well anyway, the wooden building was actually built in 1917, and its specific purpose was to act as a convalescence ward for the soldiers that had received medical attention from the CRCMH. The layout of the building was a typical ward - a rectangular main room with an offic and a ward sisters room attached.

Next door to 363 Bath road is a Jaguar dealership, but long before it used to have an identical wooden building on its site (also for the same purpose as my father's one).

On another topic - my mother had an operation at the CRCMH in approximately 1982. Immediately after the operation, the surgeon jumped into his car, turned right out of the hospital, and drove a short distance towards Maidenhead. Misjudging the tricky S-bends (you surely know the ones I mean), he ran into a tree on the left of the road and was killed.

It seems that in one way or another, my whole family has had some connection with the CRCMH!

Mr D.W
Cippenham, England
6th November 2002

Damon says: Thanks for not one, but two completely unrelated yet equally interesting tales there. In regard to the Cippenham annexe, it looks like CRCMH explorer Michael has just unearthed some plans of your father's building - so we will of course endeavour to get a copy of those online as soon as we can for you. As for the accident - eek..."spooky."

Mr D.W adds: Actually, I am a workmate of Michael, and am the fellow adventurer mentioned in his exploration tale as the one born there many years earlier (Cheek of the boy!). Most of the plans found on the site are currently nice and safe and warm with me (much to my wife's annoyance), but there is one obvious discrepancy. The plans/blueprints we found showing the hospital in Cippenham are of a completely different hospital, in a different part of Cippenham.

The blueprints are dated 1934, and are of (and I qoute) The Eton Joint Hospital Board Cippenham Isolation Hospital. This is not of the convalescence ward type that my father had, but a far more interesting one. It appears (through some early detective work) that there was a hospital complete with a very seperate typhoid ward!

This hospital seems to have been situated roughly where Westgate Secondary School is now, opposite the presently blocked-off end of Lower Cippenham Lane. This will be properly investigated in due course and Ill keep you informed. Anyway I hope this is of some interest to you - I'm not trying to be a critic!

Damon says: Excellent! I wonder how many little annexes there were dotted over the surrounding landscape. And why Cippenham? Curiouser and curioser...

Best

First off I would like to tell how much I have enjoyed reading your site over the past few days. There were times my stomach knotted up with excitement while reading the VERY thorough articles on CRCMH. How jealous am I of your opportunities to explore such a fascinating site? Very!

I have always had a yearning to explore all types of abandoned buildings. I did manage to find ways to explore varied places when I was younger. While in college studying broadcasting I took every chance I could to check out a video camera and prowl around old train stations, deserted factories and empty houses. About six months ago my interest was rekindled by stopping at a disused state mental hospital in Weston, VA.

I managed to get up to the building and begin peeking in windows for quite some time before a security guard came driving up. It was obvious that I was taken photos and he said that I could continue my exploration as long as I stayed back from the windows. Well! That took some of the thrill away. Looking back, I know if I had slipped him a $20 I might well have had a guided tour within. Weston does offer tours twice a year, one I missed a month or so ago and another at, of course, Halloween.

As I began to research the lore of asylums, state hospital and prisons I had no idea I would tap into such a deluge of kindred hearts. Website after website unfolding the same awe and wonder I felt. Photo after photo taken "just" the way I would taken it. I never even realized the was such a thing as "urban explorers." My family and friends think I am crazy and cannot believe I would go and intentionally climb around old buildings. But hey! I don't need to explain myself to you guys! I am working on a website to put my photos of Weston on it. I also have a huge collection of architecture that has caught my eye over the years.

My husband is from Birmingham so I have been to England many times. But there are so many buildings, old and relatively new, that I never thought to search out any explorations. When you are there as a tourist you have more than enough buildings to traipse around in all in the name of sight seeing. But I have started a list of MUST sees for the next trip over. I have been scouring websites for months now and you guys have got one of the very BEST I have come across. I have forwarded it all my family and friends, although I think they just delete mail from me anymore.

Now the observation I have made. The Pink Floyd album cover. The question that you posed about the design of the beds sparked my curiosity too. I went back to the historical photos and looked closely at the ward at Christmas. I went back and forth between the album cover and the photo. I do not see how it would be possible for them to be the same since the foot of the bed height is so different and the circle design is not visible in the ward photo. I hope that this suggestion is of use to you. Maybe it was something you might have overlooked, although I would find that hard to believe. You do not seem to "over look" anything.

I'll keep an eye on your updates and hope I have a site to send to you guys at some point. Take care!

Mrs C.S
Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
15th August 2003

Damon says: Thanks for your note - it's always good to hear that The Shrine has some kind of global appeal - after all, it was never designed as a "how to break into a nearby building" guide for local kids - it was purely to document the history and mysterious beauty of a unique landmark so that it could be preserved for the world to see. We look forward to a similar online glimpse of the mental hospital in Weston someday. Oh, and as for the Pink Floyd thing - I realise that I was way off the mark (as it now says on the article) - but it was kept for posterity.

Addictive

Woo yay hoopla - Here's my adventures at the CRCMH. I guess that firstly I should thank you for the object of beauty that is The Shrine (it's gorgeous website and had me utterly seduced, if I wasn't already). I've got to admit that lately it has become something of an obsession for me.

I was born at the CRCMH in July 1980, moved all over the country, and then somehow ended up back in Maidenhead a few years ago. So with an interest for all things derelict and naughty I always wanted to find the hospital and have a little look.

One day, my boyfriend and I set off on the walk from Maidenhead bridge to Cliveden. We really weren't expecting to go inside, but just to pass through the atmospheric bubble that covers that part of Taplow and maybe spy the chimney stacks from the roadside. That would have been easily enough for one evening.

Anyhow, we eventually got to the overgrown abandoned bus stop, which is without doubt, the most romantic, desolate thing I have ever seen, and we realised that with a little shimmy-ing and some seriously Buffy-tastic moves from yours truly, we could get in to the sacred site.

Disclaimer: Yes, I'm a cheeky trespasser. Bad bad bad me. But I wouldn't do that sort of thing these days.

So, we got in, and I'm sure I don't have to tell you about the undeniable "wow" factor of walking by the sentry box and seeing the building for the first time - you're kinda familiar with that already, obviously. But, sigh, it was a k'pow moment. And the funny thing...? I've read so many accounts of people finding CRX eerie or sinister, but I instantly felt comfortable and almost at home.

My mother tells me that she remembers it as being a lovely hospital - incredibly friendly and peaceful. Apparently, when I was in the newborn baby nursery she used to see inquisitive little squirrels and rabbits coming up to the window - cute, huh?

With the light fading however, we only had time for a routine tour - and there was no evidence of flinchy scariness at all. That's not to say that my boyfriend was free of the bad vibes, though - the Animal Lab made him incredibly uncomfortable and he found the depths of the long corridor rather menacing.

We got back to civilisation in the dark, walking down Cliveden Road, footpath free and lampless - which was easily the most dangerous part of the whole trip - and resolved to come back early on another day for a thorough investigation of CRCMH goodness.

The moment came and we arrived at 9am ... and it was a full five hours of explorating every corner and crevice before we were surveying our prizes over a drink at The Feathers (incidentally one of the most unpleasant watering holes in the area: no jukebox, aggressively Sloany bar trolls - yuk).

But anyway - our prizes you ask? Well, we found some beautiful blueprints and architects plans, not unlike the ones you have online at the website. These are of the animal labs (late 50's, very detailed - they're labelled 'CRCMH Rheumatism Research Animal Laboratory) and plans of the reassignment of the old officer's wards to maternity.

Again, there was no Flinch action although there was some strange knocking from the pharmacy area - we thought it sounded like a workman but when we investigated the area we found no sign of anyone else being on the site. It still didn't make me feel any less contented about being there ... in fact, I think I'd be quite happy to be at the place alone given how at ease it makes.

Now you'd think our curiosity would be sated now, wouldn't you? I'm afraid that despite the six-mile round trip that we had to make on foot to get there, the place became addictive. It seemed that there was always another hut to explore, another mystery to unravel...

So, we headed there once more, armed with the northern grounds blueprints, we set off in search of the elusive morgue ... and you're going to love this ...

There was a building at the exact spot of the mortuary on the plan, very close to the sawmill forecourt, which you would have to access (which isn't recommended nowadays - see previous disclaimer). The building was very much in keeping with the general architecture of the CRCMH. The windows were of identical design to those at the hospital, there were double doors at ground level leading in, a skylight in the main room and there seemed to be a distinct pathway leading to the top of the long corridor which was interrupted by the perimeter fence. We could make out three large rooms, all painted white and very well lit with natural light.

So... I think what we found was undoubtedly the CRCMH morgue. However, it appeared to be very much in use - as a National Trust site office. I giggled all the way back home and I thought that you would appreciate the perverted beauty - the unjustified ancients of the National Trust are residing in the creepiest place there! I think that a wry smile is generally permitted about now.... do you think that they know?

I hope that our story has been of interest to everyone.. There are aspects of the CRCMH that I think I'll continue to think about for a long time. For instance, I'm very concerned about the remaining Dead Files™, having looked through one of them and being touched deeply by the story of one particular lady. I believe that the NHS has been incredibly negligent in allowing these files to remain in a hut at the hospital and I can't help thinking that the memory of these patients deserve better than to be have these incredibly intimate files left to arsonists, vandals and even casual explorers who meant no harm like ourselves.

However, I do adore the fact that the hospital continues to have it's own very personal, bizarre attraction to the people who come to visit.

A rock a hula

Miss D
Maidenhead, England
21st August 2003

Damon says: Cheers D. Some intriguing news about the morgue there, and some very poignant thoughts concerning the Dead Files™ - if only the powers that be would listen. It's criminal that it was ever allowed to happen in the first place, yet still nobody in any official capacity seems keen to do anything about it. I must say that I'm in absolute agreement with you in regard to the romanticism of the overgrown bus shelter too. Imagine what Wordsworth, Byron or Shelley could've done with that! Likewise with the feeling of serenity that you found there. 'Tis a magical place. Oh, for a time machine...

Spirits

I am an enthusiast of the CRCMH and I thought I'd share a little experience with you. The volume of explorers in the past has guaranteed that entry to the site is now impossible due to the plentiful security guards. Once upon a time though, we did manage to get inside.

It was an an adventure, as I'm sure you would agree. We ended up emerging at the side nearest the maternity ward, and went into the grand corridor. We walked from one end to the other basically having a look around - and it was girls walking at the front and leading the way! We got about halfway down, having seen lots of graffitti, and were waiting for a ghost to pop up when we heard a noise behind us. We ran back from where we came to find four... other ghost hunters.

As disappointed as we were, we continued with our newly found recruits around the rest of the hospital. After having a final fag we were just a tad bored, not to mention hungry, so we decided to head off home especially as some of us had to go to work the next morning.

The following evening, around 11-ish we made our way back to the site and headed around to the front of the hospital. We poked around for a bit but decided that we should stick to our normal route given the fact that bits of ceiling kept falling off. Using a guide map, we started recognising all of the buildings on the way round and telling ghost stories to wind ourselves up. Heading into the childrens' ward, something struck us.

The paint was perfect, well almost. The pictures were immaculate and only a few hairline cracks had appeared on the walls of the main ward. We took several pictures and started to get a bit freaked out by the smiling teddy bears and Mr Men who haven't seemed to have aged over the last 18 years that the hospital has been closed.

Having spent half an hour being reprimanded by security, we headed home and looked at the pictures we had taken that night. We noticed that in the two of the main room in the childrens' ward there are several lights that move. Now, we know that sounds stupid, but I swear that I've seen in some programme that lights on a picture mean spirits. The pictures were taken one after another on a brand new digital camera and there was nothing for the flash to reflect off. Also, the corridor pictures mysteriously came out a lot brighter than the childrens' ward photos. Something strange must be going on.

On another topic - there's a girl who's said on The Shrine that the last person born at the CRCMH was in December 1985. This is incorrect. I was born there in February 1985, and that was only because my mum went for her last check-up there and snow storms stopped her from leaving for a week- thus she ended up having me there. In order for this to happen, they had to open up a ward to house all of those that had been stranded there. Ward One and the maternity ward were the last two open - and they closed for good a few weeks after I was born, making me certainly one of the last babies born there. That's my little claim to CRCMH fame!

Miss L.B
England
9th September 2003

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• June 2000 - December 2001