Memories of fire-gutted Seafield House

May 7 2008 By Lisa Boyle, Ayrshire Post

A NEW chapter in the history of Seafield House was written this week when it was gutted by fire.

The historic building had lain empty for several years but is still close to the hearts of the community it has served for well over a century.

The Ayrshire Post's Lisa Boyle steps back in time to revisit the glory days of Seafield House including its many years of a children's hospital.

For seven decades, Seafield Hospital provided the children of Ayrshire with first-class care.

Doctors, nurses and students of the training school ensured that the hospital had a rich community spirit and that patients and their families felt like members of the Seafield family.

The hospital had many quirky traits which made it a special place that was full of life.

Parties were held on a regular basis, children were able to sleep under the stars on the sunshine veranda and even a pet sheep was on the grounds to give the kids a morale boost.

One of the most anticipated events of the year was the annual picnic.

Doctors and nurses loaded a bus with nappies, medicine, blankets, sandwiches and a change of clothes for each of the children.

The staff and children then headed to Girvan Stair Park for a day of fun.

And in the winter, the Christmas party got everyone in the festive spirit.

The annual event was held in the Old Hall on the ground floor. The huge tree which was always beautifully decorated had the children in awe.

All the staff were invited to bring their own children to meet the patients and get a present from Santa.

Over the years, children from all different backgrounds with every kind of ailment passed through the doors of the hospital.

But the most memorable was undoubtedly Rory the lamb.

A local farmer brought Rory to the hospital because his mother had difficulty feeding him.

The nurses didn’t hesitate in adopting the little lamb. He slept in a straw shelter in a playpen surrounded by hot water bottles and was bottle-fed by the nurses and the children.

The doctors also took care of Rory by ensuring he had his own case notes and feeding chart.

Rory wasn’t the only member of the animal kingdom who helped keep the children’s spirits up.

During the summer, the grounds provided grazing and shelter for the ponies from Ayr beach. One of the doctors, Dr Abramson, also grazed his horse there — much to the annoyance of the nurses who had to chase the horse away when he popped his head through the open windows.

The community spirit of Seafield was tested in the 70s when the hospital was threatened with closure.

The whole of Ayrshire came together to fight for the facility which was so close to both their homes and their hearts.

The Save Our Seafield campaign was a massive success which saw a 32,000-signature petition handed over to the health board and Rory the sheep paraded at Catrine agricultural show wearing a coat emblazoned with “SOS”.

Seafield children’s hospital went on to give children wonderful medical care and even better memories for almost 20 years.

It’s legacy lives on in the hearts of the people of South Ayrshire and beyond.