What's Our Story - Frenchay Porters (3:09)
Mary and Simona spent time talking to the porters in their lodge at Frenchay Hospital, a small home from home, where they could relax and have a cup of tea. The porters also feature in the film and the exhibition. In this audio piece Sid Clarke, Paul Gane, Amadou Jallow and Richard Ovens speak about their work, Frenchay Hospital, and adapting to life in the new building.
What's our Story - Sounds and Voices from the Old Hospitals (1:49)
As well as speaking to staff, Mary wanted to record and preserve some of the sounds of the old hospitals. Hospitals are full of sound, and she was lucky to have the opportunity to stand in corridors, wards, car parks, waiting rooms, with her tape recorder and listen. Trolley roll, doors slam, chatter fades in and out as staff walk down the long corridor and in the green spaces of Frenchay you can hear the birds sing. This piece is a short soundscape which captures some of the atmosphere of the old buildings.
What's Our Story - Plastic Surgery Secretaries Office (3:20)
Plastic surgery was also a very important part of Frenchay’s legacy. In this department Mary concentrated on the secretaries who work tirelessly to keep up with piles of notes and files that surround their desks. They are a close knit team who have worked together for many years. It was wrench for them to leave Frenchay, but they appreciate having more space in their new offices. In this piece Wendy Rodman, Joanna Hawkins, Annie Giles and Julie O’Neill speak about their friendship, the team, and the move to the new building.
What's Our Story - Old Southmead Hospital ICU (1:51)
One of the areas in old Southmead Hospital that Mary concentrated on was the Intensive Care Unit, ICU. She spoke to several members of staff, and was very moved by the care they have for the patients and families that come through their doors. The old Southmead ICU was on the ground floor, a place almost underground with no natural light. The conversations with ICU staff also inspired a theatre piece which Mary wrote for Frenchmead. In this audio piece Clare Soppit and Adam Zirpes speak about their remarkable work.
What's Our Story - Margaret O'Farrell Neurosurgery (1:56)
Frenchay Hospital had an international reputation for Neurosurgery. This expertise and experience has now come to the new building. The staff Mary spoke to at Frenchay Hospital were sad at leaving the old wards, but looking forward to working in a building that could match their important work. Margaret O’Farrell is a senior neurosurgery nurse. In this piece she speaks about the remarkable developments in neurosurgery, the importance of the team, leaving Frenchay, and the move to the new hospital.
What's Our Story - Main Admissions (2:25)
Main Admissions in the old Southmead Hospital was off the main corridor. A very busy space with the phone constantly ringing and a queue of people checking in and asking for directions. Mary found the lists of directions really interesting as they gave a mental map of the old hospital; these have been used in the soundtrack to the film. In this audio piece Rose Schollar and Angela Cockram tell us about how important it is to make patients feel at ease when they come into hospital, how they love their work, and being in the thick of it at the front desk in the new building.
What's Our Story - Alison Dicker Domestic Southmead (1:48)
Mary first met Alison Dicker when she working on a dialysis unit at the old Southmead Hospital. Alison also appears in the film and the exhibition. In this piece she tells us why she loves working on a ward, her apprehensions about the move, and her new role in the Brunel building.
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