A new mural in Crieff Community Hospital has brought the outside in – and unlocked a world of buried memories.
The artwork covers a wall in the day room of ward two, which is primarily for older people and patients with cognitive difficulties.
The formerly magnolia surface is now decorated with colourful scenes from nature and life just beyond the hospital walls.
The brief was “to bring Crieff inside”. And it’s been an instant hit with patients, sparking recollections and conversations about times gone by.
The finished mural features well-loved Crieff landmarks, such as the Knock, Crieff Hydro and the Murray fountain in James Square.
The River Earn runs along the front, complete with wildflowers, ducks, kingfishers and butterflies dancing alongside.
A dove carrying a strawberry in its beak is a nod to the decorations on the face of the ward’s grandfather clock, which told the time for generations in the old Crieff Cottage Hospital.
And one of the biggest talking points is the old Crieff Station in the centre.
Hospital patients share warm memories of Crieff
The station closed to passengers in 1964. But its impact lives on in the memories of older townsfolk, including the patients here.
Crieff-born Stephen Wishart remembers it well.
“I was born in 1963 but I remember my granddad lifting me up onto the bridge over the railway,” he said.
“I remember the big machines ripping up the track too.”
The High Street landmarks on the hospital mural remind him of Crolla’s Cafe and the old Crieff cinema, where his uncle was a projectionist.
And the River Earn brings back memories of childhood games and mischief with his pals.
Fellow patient Mary Copland agrees it’s a great talking point.
“I think it’s wonderful, just beautiful,” she said. “There’s so much work gone into it.
“The railway reminds me of my father. He was a blacksmith and he helped build the railway in Perth.”
Crieff Hospital
Senior charge nurse Craig Paterson was involved with the project from the start.
He knew the big blank wall in the day room could be put to better use.
And so he asked the Tayside Healthcare Arts Trust if it could get involved about 14 months ago.
The artist, Freya Cumming, came into Crieff Hospital and worked with patients, staff and visitors on ideas to make that happen.
She spent lots of time with patients, finding out what Crieff meant to them and incorporating their ideas into the mural.
Craig said it had been a joy from start to finish.
“The idea was to bring Crieff inside the ward, and that’s what it’s done,” he said.
“We hoped it would encourage patients to reminisce about Crieff of old, and it’s like it’s a switch was flipped on day one.
“There’s a real buzz in here now and it’s fantastic to hear the conversations happening around it.”
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