Royal Masonic Hospital. We asked Anne how she arrived at
A sideview sketch of the Royal Masonic Hospital site
That masonic belt buckle!
F
or those of us to whom the sight of masonic imagery is an
everyday occurrence, the sight of HM. The Queen leaving hospital, after her recent short stay, accompanied by Deputy Matron, Anne Jenkins, would not have raised anything but a knowing eyebrow, if at all. The brief media storm that accompanied publication of THAT photograph taken on the steps of the King Edward VII's Hospital SisterAgnes, (to give it its full name) however, brought headlines aplenty and a wide range of commentary ranging from the British daily newspapers to internet bloggers. So what was the cause of the media interest? A belt buckle. Not just any belt buckle you understand, but one worn only by nurses who trained and qualified at the Royal Masonic Hospital ("RMH"), a close-up of
6
which is above and shown on the cover of this magazine. This seemed an ideal opportunity for arena to follow up; to educate younger masons about the RMH and to perhaps bring back memories for those that knew the institution, whether as in-patients, visitors or supporters. So what was the RMH? Originally,
the Freemasons' War Hospital was opened by London Freemasons during World War I in Fulham Road, London, in the premises of the former Chelsea Hospital for Women and treated over 4,000 servicemen by the end of the war. In 1920 it opened as the Freemason’s Hospital and Nursing Home, but outgrew its premises. The new hospital was opened by King George V and Queen Mary, and the king gave permission for the hospital to be renamed as the
the RMH and why? Having felt an early vocational call towards nursing and having greatly enjoyed her time as a St John's Ambulance Cadet in Cardiff where she was brought up, Anne felt drawn towards a nursing career. When “A” level study proved less interesting than she had hoped, she went to work for BT in their accounts department in Cardiff. This job however, Anne recalls, was not the most interesting one and indeed, may have been to nursing's advantage as Anne decided to leave BT, follow her vocation, and become a nurse. She applied to the University Hospital of Wales where she was accepted. In the meantime however, her sister, who was living in London at the time, had spoken to her fiancée, a Freemason, who suggested that Anne could train instead at the RMH. So why would Anne move from
Wales? Apparently, the RMH was well-known for having a very fine training course and high standards of care: all-in-all, it was a sought-after qualification. She had not previously considered it, as only relatives of masons or other connected persons were eligible to join the nursing course, but with a recommendation from her sister's fiancée's lodge in Essex, she was accepted. Anne joined as a student nurse in 1975 and graduated in 1978 having undertaken part of her training, A & E, Paediatrics and Obstetrics, at Queen Mary Hospital in Roehampton, which the RMH (being a private hospital) could not provide. On graduating, she became eligible to purchase the special buckle of the hospital, which her parents bought for her in the solid silver version as a graduation present. Having stayed a further year to consolidate her studies and to gain experience in running wards, Anne was given a hospital nurse’s badge which she also still wears, on her dress uniform, with the belt buckle to this day! To further develop her skills, Anne
joined the NHS at the Middlesex Hospital (which like nearly all of the London teaching hospitals, had its own lodge, but that is a story for a future edition of arena) where she did a year in A & E and two and a
ISSUE 13
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40