Mary Di Marco lived at the Three Counties Hospital, from the age of three months, in 1950 up until the hospital closed down in 1999. Credit goes to Mary for sharing her story complemented and her wonderful photographs. This is Mary's story in her own words.
"Fairfield was my home. I grew up and lived in the grounds from the age of three months in 1950. I worked there, and met my husband there. We then lived in two more hospital houses. I held my five year old son's funeral at the Roman Catholic chapel in the hospital.
"When I was a child the hospital was still self-sufficient. I have many memories of the farm. In fact my father started work as a cattleman, and after the farm finished he worked in the Engineers Dept.
"I remember lots of the old farm workers, drivers, blacksmith, fireman, security man, cooks, etc, and have a few old photos including a Christmas one of all the children living in the hospital grounds in the 1960s, at a Christmas party. I worked in the nurses' home kitchen, the dry cleaners and finally as a nursing assistant. I worked in the last ward to close, B6, and did the last ever night shift before the hospital finally closed.
"I have been back to have a look at the new housing. They had to keep all the old houses, so I'm glad to say the houses where I grew up and spent my early married life are still standing."
"I consider Three Counties Hospital, or Fairfield Hospital, as home, as it is where I grew up. My father worked there from the late 1940s. He was a cattleman on the farm, and moved into the hospital house, 1 Estate Cottages, when I was three months old. Three younger brothers and myself got to know a lot of the staff and patients. We knew some of the patients by name, but others we just had nicknames for. One kind chap we called The Chocolate Man. He worked in the long shed that was just in front of the little cemetery, we called it The Wood Shed. It was where patients worked cutting kindling sticks to light fires in the hospital. Every week when he got paid (with the tokens to be spent in the hospital shop, run by Mr Crawley) he would come over to our door with sweets for us.
"Most of the patients we knew were good to us. That was in the days before children were wrapped in cotton wool with health and safety advice. I remember when my brothers and I went out on the tractors and trailers with some of the farm workers, when they were harvesting the wheat. There were not many children living in the hospital grounds in the early 1950s, but the number grew during the 1960s.
"When the farm came to an end, my father went to work in the engineering department. The thinking at the time was that patients were being used as cheap labour, but I think it had its good and bad points. I think it gave the patients some purpose and structure. Many of them took their jobs very seriously. There was one lady who was really devoted to looking after the horses, and one who worked in the orchard who continued to collect all the fruit even when the hospital no longer used it in the kitchens. Female patients who wanted to and were able worked in the laundry, sewing room, etc. Others worked in therapy, and made some lovely knitted and embroidered items which were displayed for sale in a showcase at the back reception area. Later work was brought in from outside companies, e.g. electric fire and Christmas cracker making.
"I worked in the nurses home dining room in my school holidays, and continued to work there when I finished school, intending to do my nurse's training when I was 18. Before this happened I met my husband Rosario, or Rolo as they called him. We were lucky to be given a hospital house next door to my patents. I worked in the dry cleaners for a year, and then after my children were born. I started working as a nursing assistant on night duty. I continued to work on nights, and worked the last ever night shift on the last ward, B6, which moved out on 18th September 1999.
"It was a bit like a big family, everyone got to know what was going on. Not always a great thing, but when the chips were down and there was trouble or tragedies there was always someone to help. I got great comfort from lots of people when my youngest child died. We held the funeral service at the Catholic chapel in the hospital.
"There was always a Church of England vicar based at the hospital, but the Catholic priest came from Shefford. People from the villages used to come to the services along with the staff and patients. When I was a child the service took place in the female hall. One Sunday morning we went there for the service, and sometime the previous day there must have been a sale of female undergarments, and all round the walls were posters of women in underwear. The service went on, but I bet a few of the men were distracted.
"There were good fun days, like sports days, galas, concerts that we got to go to. I remember the Baron Knights coming to play before they made the charts. There were pantos at Christmas, cinema every Tuesday and dances and discos. The New Year balls were great events, with wonderful buffets done by the hospital catering staff.
"I thought that when the new houses were being built, they would pull down the houses we had lived in but apparently they were not allowed to. The old houses are still standing but altered and with new extensions, but still much the same.
"People have varied thoughts about Fairfield, but I remember it with affection, and I dare say it will be where I will be when I enter my second childhood (not long to go). So many stories and people."
