The 100th anniversary of Burnham-On-Sea Hospital was marked on Friday (November 11th) with a special event for staff, patients and supporters.
Organised by The Friends of Burnham Hospital, the celebration was held at the hospital in Burnham’s Love Lane.
Over 30 people gathered in the hospital for an afternoon of reminiscing with music, teas and the cutting of a cake to mark the milestone.
Ceri Joyce, Chairman of The Friends of Burnham Hospital, said: “It was a wonderful afternoon to mark a very special occasion.”
“We welcomed past chairmen and regular volunteers who help us at various events.”
The past Chairman Bernard Spilsbury and Tony Deahl are pictured below with Ceri during Friday’s event.
During the afternoon, the Friends also formally presented the hospital with a Centrifuge blood machine following fundraising.
It allows blood samples in collection tubes to be spun at high speeds to preserve them for longer and allow samples to be processed the following day, bring more flexibility.
History of Burnham-On-Sea Hospital
Burnham’s War Memorial Hospital was opened in October 1922 by the Marquis of Bath. Originally there were two wards with 2-3 beds in each, but in 1925 a childrens ward was added followed by an operating theatre.
In 1938 a further was extension was added, opened by Lord Bath as captured in this historic video below.
During WW2, it also cared for American army personnel stationed in the area. In 1953, the Holmes Memorial Clinic was added in memory of the popular local GP Dr Holmes.
More recenty, we reported in 2009 that a womens ward was opened at the hospital and also a new-look outpatients area was unveiled.
