Every year, the Asylum Board submitted a report to Tynwald. The Medical Superintendent contributed his thoughts and a brief description of the activities and entertainments provided for patients.
He thanks various kind individuals for the donation of books and periodicals. For example, in 1881 "Misses Moffat of Finch Road for a quantity of excellent pictures”; and to W Crossfield Esquire of Oakhill for “a most acceptable present of illustrated papers". The Manx Sun newspaper gave a copy free of charge each week- I would imagine that copy would be well thumbed considering the number of people at Ballamona!
Weekly concerts were held organised by the hospital with the help of volunteers plus local and visiting bands would perform occasionally: Douglas Brass Band, Mr Poulter and The Isle of Man Volunteer Band (1889), The Ohio Minstrels, Mr Harry Wood (1896), Castletown Metropolitan Band (1898), T Wood and The Welsh Choir (1899), Crosby Brass Band (1901), Noah Moore’s Concert Party (1909), Kings Liverpool Regiment (1942), The Mississippi Minstrels (1943) and The Wanderers Choir (1948). Noah Moore and his choir still visited the hospital in 1945.
A weekly dance was held in the main hall, and between 1896 and 1905, a Mrs Matson of Mount Rule played each week. By 1923 the orchestra for the dance was Mr and Mrs W Quaggin, Mr P Quaggin and Mr E Collins. Plays were performed - sometimes by visiting dramatic groups, but more often by staff and patients. Mr Armitage Rigby and his company performed two plays. The St Thomas Dramatic Society performed in 1908. In 1902, Norah Wood, Annette Wood, Mr Quayle C Farrant and Mr T A Acheson all helped out with a staff play. Patients enjoyed trips to the theatre. Douglas Choral Union in particular invited a party to many of the dress rehearsals for their productions. Sometimes costumes were donated for the hospital’s own plays.
Mr Keith offered reduced prices to attend “his excellent circus” in 1879 and Alfred Hemmings offered a circus (1887) and entertainment at the matinee of his pantomime (1893). Messrs Poulter and Johnson gave free admission to the Christy Minstrel Variety on New Year’s Day (1891). A theatre trip was organised by kind invitation of Sir John Goldie Taubman in 1898. Sports were keenly pursued at Ballamona. Cricket, hockey and croquet in particular. They even played cammag. Mr H Corris gave a football in 1893 and in 1922 Major F C Harris donated new cricket gear.
Christmas was celebrated and in the reports it often states -“A Christmas Tree was held” which possibly means the distribution of gifts. Various people donated a tree and contributed to gifts, often individuals on the hospital board. For example: R Cowley MHK for Ramsey who gave the tree in 1901 and Major Spittal donated in 1906. Lady Goldie Taubman and Mr J.L. Goldie Taubman were thanked for “their handsome contribution to our Christmas festivities” in 1921. Messrs Mylrea and Allen gave Christmas cards to the patients as did Mr Sissons from 1899.
In 1926 an annual drive out for patients began. They took 160 patients in 30 cars and charabancs. In 1927, the Doctor thanks “Private and trade owners of motor vehicles” who helped facilitate. Numbers for this event exceeded 200 and they chose a different route each year. The war put a stop to it. Amazingly, three parties of patients enjoyed an ‘Air Trip’. Captain John Higgins and The Blackpool West Coast Pilots offered this exciting diversion in 1938. The Ramsey Branch of the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) would visit patients from the north of the Island.
April 1966 saw the formation of The Ballamona League of Friends. Mr S J Cain was the first chair, Councillor J H Wood was vice chair and president was Mr J H Cain MHK, OBE. Miss I Jones was secretary with Mrs M E Jones as assistant. Mr E Harding was Treasurer with Mrs Y Stephens as assistant. Other members of the committee were: Mr E Moore, Mr A Moore, Mrs J Morgan, Mrs McMullin, Mrs Flack, Mrs H B Clague, Mr H Corkill, Miss L McCormick, Mrs M Green, and Mrs F Hardinge. Mr Tom Cowell and Mr J Lappin were co-opted on.
A fundraising dance was held at the hospital and they registered as a charity. A visiting committee was formed and a rota organised. A library trolley was provided. They organised birthday and Christmas cards for the patients, prizes for bowling, putting and snooker competitions, bought bed jackets and socks, cosmetics and toiletries.
Social events for patients were planned.Mr J H Corkill became chair in 1967. Mrs E Fletcher, Mrs Stansfield, Mrs Higgins and Mrs D Brew joined the committee. A garden fete was held in May 1967 and they helped with a Hospital Sports Day. They bought an aquarium and started a beauty parlour with Mrs Sybil Maley of Maley's Chemists offering her services.
They did collections with permission from Mr Jack Quirk at the Crescent and Mr A Killip of The Bowling Green Hotel. They entered a float in Douglas Carnival and raised £37. A jumble sale raised £26. They had a fashion show of knitted garments at The Villier’s Hotel. The AGM attracted 46 people and they had 70 members. The League helped with centenary celebrations in 1968 and bought a trampoline, washer and spin dryer, televisions and radios. Volunteer visitors brought sweets, cakes and cigarettes to give to patients. Mr S.J Cain was again chair by 1968, with Mrs F.B. Har-dinge as vice chair and Mr Tom Cowell became the assistant secretary and in charge of sending birthday and Christmas cards to every patient. Other committee members were Mrs E Fletcher, Mrs Stansfield, Mrs Higgins, Miss L McCormick, Mrs W Ryner, Mrs Hamilton, Mrs Harrison, Mrs H Hindley and Mr Pickersgill, Mr J Cooper and Mrs N Hindley.
In 1970, Mr Bert Wasley was chair with the Rev K Liley, vicar of Braddan as vice chair. Efforts were focused on a fundraising tombola to buy a minibus to be used for patient outings and money was given toward a holiday for two groups of patients. Derek Batey from Border television attended the annual dinner and a record autographed by Harry Seacombe was auctioned. They bought 200 garden chairs and 36 umbrellas for the hospital. In 1971, Mrs Muriel White is President. In 1972 the treasurer Mr Hardinge became the Secretary and Mr G Jackson became treasurer. The league worked to have a room converted to be used as a chapel on the site.
In 1973, George and Lyn Waft become joint secretaries with Miss V Corkill as assistant. Other members are Mr R.D. Ridsdale, Mrs Eileen Jackson, Miss Edith Cartmill, Miss J Hasney, Miss O’Grady, Mr Whittaker, Mrs Livesey, Miss McCormick and Mr Cowell. Christmas and Halloween dances continued and the funding of trips out for lunch and holidays to Morecambe (it seems these holidays were for those with learning disability rather than mental illness). 300 Christmas Presents were purchased and wrapped. Money was raised with a Christmas Fayre, collecting boxes and a summer tombola and selling diaries.
In 1977 the league started a fund to build a leisure centre on the hospital site. This allowed patients to socialise in a more intimate and modern environment than the hall. It was opened in 1979 and also used by staff. The League ran monthly tea parties in the building.
In 1983, an appeal was started for the building of a Day Centre. There were 109 day patients by this time. Mental Health Services asked if instead of a building on site, would they buy a property in town? The daycentre became Kingswood House in Harris Terrace. Dennis and Phyllis Myers ran the Buffet Dance free of charge in 1985. They organised many dances for patients in the main hall over the years. Mary Maylott gave Crackers and floral decorations for a fundraiser. Individual presents of cigarettes and chocolates at Christmas stopped in 1987 with the wards being given £50 instead to choose appropriate presents for their patients.
The 1988 AGM held a two minute silence for Bert Wasley (chairman 1970-1988) who had who had passed away and George Waft became chair. A new aviary was planned in memory of Bert just outside the leisure centre and opened in June 1991. Audrey Lisle steps down as treasurer after 13 years to be replaced by Mr Tom Corkish.
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Mary Maylott became assistant secretary to Mrs Audrey Harris in 1990. There was a 25th anniversary dinner planned at the Imperial Hotel on Friday 26th October 1990, and a new mini bus was purchased in 1991.
In 1992, the members had a tour of Oak House and the Farm House -“a most interesting update on their activities of trying to get patients back into the community”. Negotiations began in 1992 for “the purchase of a house for the ongoing rehab of patients”. The League of Friends had to change its constitution and name in order to provide assistance for people outside the hospital setting. After much debate, The Ballamona Association for Mental Health was decided upon. This name reflects the history of the organisation but has also been criticised due to the stigma associated with the old Ballamona Hospital.
Fifty years on, the Association continues to support Mental Health Services with the extras that make a difference to the patient experience, and also helps individual service users with guidance from professionals. Mr Tom Cowell MBE, George and Lynn Waft, Phyllis Myers and Mrs Mary Maylott still work hard on the committee of the association today.
Acknowledgements
All images (except for George and Bert) are courtesy of Manx National Heritage and can be viewed on the iMuseum website All newspaper cuttings are courtesy of Manx National Heritage and can be viewed subject to subscription on their newspapers website
Thanks to BAMH for the loan of their minute books.
Sarah Christian
September 2016
