'Come to Brockhall' Highvolume Play Pause Stop

 

The main entrance to Brockhall. This was taken in 1993, just after closure.

Lancashire County Council Museums Service

 

Entering Brockhall with wards on the left. This photo was taken in 1993 after the hospital had closed.

Lancashire County Council Museums Service

Betsy Bell was born in 1926. She went to Brockhall hospital in 1959, and except for a few months away in the 1970s, lived there until she left in 1991.

David Brandon wrote down some of Betsy’s memories of Brockhall in his 1990s’ book, Strange Places: Experiences in Mental Handicap Hospitals.

Betsy remembered a song her and others used to sing at Brockhall.

“Come to Brockhall

Come to Brockhall

It’s a place of misery

Round the corner there’s a signpost

Saying welcome home to me

Don’t believe it

Don’t believe it

It’s a pack of dirty lies

If it weren’t for Dr ****

We would be in Paradise

Build a bonfire

Build a bonfire

Put the Matron on the top

Put the staff in the middle

And burn the bloody lot.”

This was sung to the tune of ‘Clementine’, like Come to Barlow, a Royal Albert song you can hear on the website.