Whipps Cross 100

Whipps Cross  is not the old buildings, not the new buildings, not the long corridors, not the strange plant names, it is not any of that. Whipps Cross is some of that and much more, it is the look on people’s faces when you mention the name; Whipps Cross: my grandfather was born there, my mother died there, I did my training there, and many more stories I have heard from friends, colleagues,  patients and families so many times and I never felt bored.

 

These long corridors, big nightingale wards, stairs, balconies, chapel, restaurant and shop have seen so much and if they could talk they will tell us about the people who have gone through this building over the past 100 year. How Whipps Cross touched people’s lives during their at most need and changed it forever. How the memory of being at Whipps has changed them, and changed Whipps.

 

Cathy told me how she met her husband at Whipps, Emma told that she was born at Whipps, now work at Whipps and will die at Whipps, Mary told me about the lady who gave birth to twins in the hospital car park, Percy told me how he raised funds for hospital for so many years, John told me how he lost his wife at Whipps at the same ward he was a patient in, Theresa told me about how they used to smoke on the wards and share the “drinks” with patients on Christmas … many more stories, stories about giving birth and meeting new ones for the first time, and stories about death and losing someone forever.

 

Every story has a hero and a villain, Whipps Cross stories has so many laughter and tears, joy and sadness, happy and sad endings, it has so many heroes but no villains.

 

Whipps Cross happy 100..