60 Years On - Former radiographers return to The Bristol General Hospital

History in the making for City & Country this October, as we opened the doors to The General, a redevelopment of the former Bristol General Hospital, to a group of former radiographers who began their training in the hospital 60 years ago.

In 2014, we started works to transform the former Bristol General Hospital into a collection of apartments. The original building, which first opened its doors in 1858, has seen thousands of workers and patients pass through its wings in the years that followed.

Carole Gough and her colleagues joined the hospital in 1964, completing their training two years later. Out of the initial intake of 14 radiographers that year, nine remain in touch and regularly meet up. To commemorate 60 years since the friends met and embarked on their training, the group visited The General for a site visit.

The group wore their former hospital badges – the design of which inspired the logo for The General. Having trained in the School of Radiography and associated physics department, located within the newly redeveloped apartments, the radiotherapists treated patients in a ground floor room with views overlooking the Bathhurst basin. Other former treatment rooms have now been turned into a restaurant for visitors to enjoy.

Protecting heritage and conserving history is at the heart of what we do at City & Country. Our careful restoration of the General has allowed us to preserve this living history for generations to come, and it was a pleasure to welcome Carole and the radiographers to share their stories with us.

 

A group of former classmates from the Bristol School of Radiography visited the site of the old Bristol General Hospital, where they first met in 1964.  

The classmates, pictured wearing the hospital badges which they received upon completion of their training, celebrated 60 years of friendship this year. The hospital has since been repurposed into apartments by property developer City & Country.