Prestwich site featured on BBC One’s Who Do You Think You Are?
The Prestwich site has been featured in an episode of BBC One’s Who Do You Think You Are?
The show, which aired on Thursday 30th June, followed local-born actor and Death in Paradise star, Ralf Little, in his journey of discovery into his ancestry.
Ralf, who was born and raised around Bury, met with local historian, Dr Vicky Long, at the Prestwich site, where his grandfather Arthur worked as a ‘Mental Nurse’ from 1939.
Mental health support and treatment was significantly less understood and developed at that time. Dr Long explained that the Mental Nurse role was a physical, and sometimes dangerous, role. She said:
“You start learning on the job. It was about making sure that no fights break out, or any trouble breaks out, on the ward. It was also about watching out for patients who might be suicidal.
“Mental hospitals were quite unique in British healthcare at this point in time in recruiting men as nurses.”
Ralf was surprised to hear that his grandmother, Olive, had also worked at what was then 'Prestwich Hospital', as a ‘Laundry Maid’; and it is the site where his grandparents first met.
Ralf then visited the Orkney Islands to hear about Arthur’s experience in the Royal Navy during the Second World War. Back in Manchester, he learned that another ancestor played a key role in the development of this great industrial city.
In a recent interview with the TV Times, Ralf said:
“I’ve always felt a massive connection to Manchester. My immediate family doesn’t live there any more but it turns out I’ve got deep historical connections to the city. I couldn’t believe it. My heart was bursting out of my chest with pride. The connection is more profound now.”
Maintaining the family connection, Ralf Little’s cousin, Anna Campbell, also currently works as a Mental Health Charge Nurse at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust (GMMH), which now runs the Prestwich site. She said:
“Our grandad worked at Prestwich, and so did my dad. So that’s three generations in mental health nursing.
“Unfortunately, our grandad died just as I was starting university to become a Mental Health Nurse. But he knew I was pursuing a career in healthcare, which he was proud of. And I’ve been here for 19 years now!
“I absolutely love my job - it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. I work in Later Life mental health services, for people over 65, and it’s amazing to meet people and support them to be the best they can be, and get the most out of life.
“My husband also works at the Trust, and it’s how I met him too – so I really am following in our grandparents’ footsteps!”
You can watch the full episode on the BBC iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m0018ss9/who-do-you-think-you-are-series-19-5-ralf-little
