The Independent Living Services
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CONTENTS
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THE STORY OF DITCHBURN
The building in Mill Road ,now known
as Ditchburn Place, was built in 1838
and was called the Cambridge Workhouse or “Union". It was meant to
give a home to 250 poor, elderly, sick
and disabled people.
THE MEN’S INFIRMARY 1880
Workhouses had their own infirmaries
and were obliged to take in chronically
ill paupers who were excluded from ordinary hospitals but with no
trained staff the care was usually carried out by the female inmates
themselves.
Up until the mid 1930’s most women preferred to give birth at home rather than in unsanitary hospital conditions, but with the advent of sulpha
drugs in the mid 1930’s and antibiotics ten years later, birth in hospital
made childbirth a much safer process.
And so in 1948 the building became
the town’s Maternity Hospital and
many of our readers or their children
will have been born there, but in 1983,
due to overcrowding , and a generous
donation by millionaire David Robinson, the Rosie Maternity Hospital
DITCHBURN PLACE 2013
was built as an extension to Addenbrookes Hospital in Hills Road.
In 1989 Cambridge City Council carried out a new sheltered
housing development on the Mill Road site, with 15 Sheltered and 36
Extra Care tenants, and gave it the name of Ditchburn Place in
honour of Douglas and Doris Ditchburn who were Master and Matron
from 1943 to 1956.
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DANCING
WITH THE
DAFFODILS
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3
Ditchburn Place is due to be refurbished in the near future to bring
it up to present standards and a report will be presented to the City
Councils Housing Management Board for approval. Although the
final details are not yet known it is proposed that refurbishment of the extra care
flats that do not have separate kitchen and
shower facilities will be first.
Tenants and their families have said they
do not wish to be moved off site while work
is carried out so this will be completed in
MAIN DINING ROOM
phases.
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CAMBRIDGE HISTORY
ADDENBROOKES
Founded by John Addenbooke in 1766 the hospital
was one of several in England
funded by voluntary contributions. The first staff consisted
of 3 physicians, 3 surgeons, a
resident apothecary, a matron
and a few nurses.
Originally operations were performed without anaesthetics, such as the extraction of kidney stones,
tumours and amputations. Anaesthesia was first
used in Cambridge in an operation by eminent surgeon Sir George Humphry.
In 1948 it soon became clear that the old hospital
needed to be replaced. A newer, bigger hospital was
begun on its present site in Hills Road and the first
phase was opened in 1962.
Today the story is far from over.
It is planned to double its size by
2020 when Addenbrookes will
become the largest biomedical
campus in the whole of Europe.
DID YOU REMEMBER?
The last issue showed no.5 Market
hill situated above Oasis in the
market square. It dates from the
16th century and is one of only five
wood-framed buildings remaining
in the city centre.
The front is covered by tiles that
simulate bricks, a method used in
the 18th century to upgrade woodframed buildings and also to avoid
a brick tax. It also has a magnificent first floor plaster ceiling featuring clouds with birds and other animals and a first
floor outside balcony with a shell hood and, like the
ceiling, dates from 1688.
The oldest building in Cambridge
The church of St. Benedict – known as St. Bene’t’s
and with its Anglo Saxon tower is situated in
Bene’t Street. The oldest building in Cambridge.
Even older than the University when Cambridge, or
Grantabrycge as it was known, was already an
important centre of spiritual learning.
In the 13th century an Augustinian Friary stood next
door to the church and in those days religious
institutions were the only organisations to provide
care for the sick, poor and elderly.
They catered not only for the
inhabitants of Cambridge but
also, along with the church
provided clothing , bedding and
food , as well as prayer and
spiritual comfort to all the
vagrants, beggars and unemployed people who thronged the
streets of Cambridge.
PICTURE PUZZLE
Who, what and how
many ? Let us or your
ILF know
Editors Comments
We know we’ve said it before but it is important to look out for Bogus callers. These are people who will
try to con their way into your home to steal or trick you out of money.
 Before you open the door to a caller .look through the window or peephole to see who it is and if
you don’t know them put your door chain on and check other outer doors are locked.
 Ask for identity and examine it carefully. If unsure, check by phoning the company they say they
represent. Get the number from a bill or phone book rather than a number that they give you.
 Most callers are genuine and are used to having their identity checked and they won’t mind
waiting. Don’t be pressured into opening your door to them if you are not sure.
 Remember, it is up to you who you let into your home so have peace of mind and enjoy life.
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Meet Jenny Kehrer The latest member to
join The Independent Living Services
Staff Team
Tell me Jenny, what brought you to Cambridge?
I am originally from Germany / Bavaria
I came to England more than three years ago and I moved to
Cambridge in the summer of 2012
What do you do in your work for the City Council?
I work with the Independent Living Facilitators as a support worker
For instance standing in for them when they are on leave and giving
general assistance where needed.
Do you have any interests outside your field of work?
I am always out and about on my bike so you might have met me
before. I love cycling around Cambridge even when it is raining or
snowing.
.How about hobbies? What do you do in you own time?
I love reading, painting, cooking and baking. I also like shopping for
clothes, food, bric-a-brac etc.
Is there anything that you don’t like?
.What I don’t like is eating or cooking meat. I have been a vegetarian
for a long time.
Have you any plans for the future?
I feel it’s a bit too early to make definite plans so I’m still waiting to
see what the future brings.
THANK YOU to all of
the schemes to date
who have so far raised
£735.85 for the charity
“Make a Wish” who
we are sponsoring this
year. Please keep your
donations coming in.
DAFFODILS
I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils,
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay.
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced, but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee.
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company.
I gazed-and gazed –but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought.
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude,
and then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
Artisan
astonish
bendable
blossom
chicken
cleaning daylight easter
eggs
equinox
flexibility lambs lawnmower
mattress
onions
pliability
rebirth
rolls showers snowdrops
springtime
suddenly
swimming torsion
vault
warming watercourse
weddings
William Wordsworth 1815
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BRINGAND
ANDBUY
BUY
BRING
We are holding a bi-monthly lunch at Brandon Court for all
people over 60 years of age who live in the local community. The
next one will be June 12th. If you know of anyone who is lonely
or isolated and would like to come please contact Mary Hyde as
above. Thank you.
Celebrating Easter in
other Countries
Poland Traditionally people prepare
decorated baskets, filled with groceries
like hard-boiled eggs, ham, fruits etc.
Each have a symbolic meaning, e.g.
bread is the symbol for Jesus, Lamb represents Christ. On Easter Sunday women are supposed to be on holiday and
shouldn’t do any work.
India Christians often spend Easter
Sunday decorating their loved ones
graves with flowers and candles remembering that they will rise again.
Germany Children have Easter Sunday
egg hunts with painted eggs and sweets,
hidden by the Easter Bunny. People also
decorate branches in vases and trees in
gardens. They also make cakes in bunny or lamb form.
Norway As well as cross-country skiing
and egg painting Norwegians like to read
and watch murder mysteries so the major TV channels run crime and detective
stories.
Sweden and Denmark Small children,
dressed as witches, exchange candy,
door to door, for decorated pussy willows and families feast on a smorgasbord of herring, salmon, potatoes and
eggs.
Haiti People celebrate with parades in
carnival fashion to sing, dance and have
fun. It’s a time when society accepts almost any kind of behaviour.
Most
of the
thesheltered
shelteredschemes
schemes
Most of
have
andand
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usualhave a aBring
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ly
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usually every month, and Ditiston
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But
this
February
is no exception. But
they
hit a record
with the
this February
they high
hit a record
magnificent
profit
of
£117.00
high with the magnificentThe
Ladies
of £117.00
the Social
profit of
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of the Social Committee hold
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ofgo
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a central fund
Well
Done
Ditton
Court
for the benefit of the tenants.
Well Done Ditton Court
If you have held an event that you
think is worth sharing with everyone,
let us know and we will put it in the
next newsletter.
From Chicks
In our last summer’s newsletter we showed you
pictures of the chicks that had been hatched
and raised in an incubator over Easter by the
staff and tenants of Ditchburn Place.
Robert Hollingsworth , Head of City Homes,
put them in his garden and now they are 12
months old, he has kindly taken photographs
of them to show you. They are all fit and
healthy and enjoying life to the full.
To
Chickens
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