Description
Amy’s design was taken from a scarf she created for St Richard’s Hospice based on the themes of hope and peace, featuring snowdrops, the sun, stars, doves and hearts.
Inspiration is taken from the poem The Snowdrop – Consolation by Bishop Keble 1792-1886:
“I am come to calm your fears: I am come to console you in the absence of bright days, and to reassure you of their return.”
Audio read by: Toni McDonald from BBC Hereford and Worcester
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Artist
Amy Gazeley – Littleprintscharming.co.uk
Amy studied Textile Design at Central Saint Martins, specialising in printed textiles. She graduated in 2007 and has since had a successful career designing prints for womenswear fashion. She also runs ‘Little Prints Charming’ designing fun and educational interior prints and cards for children.
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Location
19. Castle Street / Pitchcroft
The site of Worcester infirmary seen across the road today forms an attractive part of the university campus, but back in the 18th century, it represented an important municipal development for the city.
In the 1740s Dr John Wall (who also founded Worcester porcelain works) was campaigning for the creation of a public hospital for the citizens of Worcester. He found a ready ally in the newly-appointed Bishop of Worcester Isaac Maddox.
More about this location
19. Castle Street / Pitchcroft
In 1745 a new charitable hospital was opened in Silver Street – only the 7th such institution to exist outside of the city of London. With just four physicians, the hospital treated almost 1000 patients in its first year.
By 1765, it was becoming clear that a new building was required. The Silver Street hospital was overcrowded and in ill repair.
A plot of land known as the ‘artichoke fields’ was purchased (the present site) just off Castle Street, then known as Salt Lane and construction of the present building was completed in 1771.
The semi-circular apse-like chapel, complete with mock trans-gothic banding, was built in 1851 and named after Jenny Lind – a famous Swedish opera singer.
The county gaol was built opposite the infirmary in 1813, in the style of a crenellated castle (hence the name Castle Street).
A tunnel ran between the two buildings so that the bodies of freshly-executed criminals could be dissected by medical students there. In the 1950s workers in the tunnel came across a few of the plaster death masks created from this time. These are now on display in the building, on loan from the George Marshal medical museum.
On a lighter note, the infirmary also became the base of operations for the British Medical Association, founded in Worcester by Sir Charles Hastings in 1832.
This location fact has been provided by Joe Tierney of Faithful History. To learn more stories of the ancient city of Worcester, spanning thousands of years of history in ‘The Faithful City’, visit https://www.facebook.com/faithfulhistoryworcester
Take home your own feathered friend
In October 2024 all 40 large penguins and one chick will be auctioned to raise funds for the care provided by St Richard’s Hospice.
In 2021, 31 stunning elephant sculptures raised a mammoth £368,800 to support the care provided by St Richard’s Hospice across Worcestershire.
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