Care, Create, Conserve at history fair
Date of release: 20 November 2024
History buffs with an interest in healthcare can take a trip down memory lane at a fair in Wolverhampton this weekend – with a collection of clinical items available to handle.
Volunteers Sharron Wise and Helen Steatham with some of the historical healthcare items
Items – including an early version of a nasal cannula – will be on display at the fair on Saturday, 23 November at the Wolverhampton City Archive.
They will be at a stall hosted by two volunteers from the Care, Create and Conserve project, part of the Arts and Heritage sector of The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust (RWT) Charity.
Visitors to the stall, located in the search room on the first floor of the Molineux Hotel Building, will also be welcome to share memories of the old Royal Hospital.
The volunteers will speak to the public about Wolverhampton’s healthcare heritage and the project.
Elinor Cole, Arts and Heritage Co-ordinator at The RWT Charity, said: “We will have our handling collection available for people to explore – this includes a pair of Tudor Edwards oxygen spectacles from the 1930s, and a medicine bottle from Wolverhampton-based chemist Reade Brothers and Company.
“We will also be inviting those with memories of the Royal Hospital – either as a patient or member of staff – to share their stories on our collaborative display; they will also be able to sign up to participate in our oral history project.”
The Charity’s display is one of numerous stalls featuring community groups, local history groups and genealogy societies.
There will be exhibits contributed by local historians, organisations, and individuals, who will share their knowledge, answer questions and tell people about their activities.
Care, Create, Conserve is an 18-month long programme of arts and heritage activity, funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Central to this project is the launch of a Healthcare Heritage Centre, which has started to exhibit the Trust’s fascinating collection of medical artefacts, photographs, and memorabilia. It also acts as a community co-creation hub, hosting a vibrant programme of talks, events, and workshops.
The former Royal Hospital closed in 1997, with its services transferred to New Cross Hospital, part of RWT.
A small admission charge will be asked for at the event, which takes place from 10am-4pm. The full address is Molineux Hotel Building, Whitmore Hill, WV1 1SF.
ENDS
- For further information, please call Tim Nash on 07714 741097 or email tim.nash2@nhs.net
