A retired nurse who spent two years working in Dundee’s Strathmartine Hospital has revealed that he is looking forward to seeing the place immortalised as part of a new heritage project.
Strathmartine was decommissioned in the late 1980s before being closed for good in 2003.
The heritage project aims to tell the stories of the people who worked in the hospital before it closed its doors.
Around 30 former staff and residents have contributed to the oral history of their time at Strathmartine.
Andy Angus joined the hospital in 1988 after leaving the army.
He insists that staff and patients had a great bond and that Strathmartine was an enjoyable place to work.
He said: “I came out of the army in 1988 and took on a role at Strathmartine.
“I had a mixed bag of experiences during my stay but would have to say that I enjoyed my time.
“There was always a great rapport between staff and patients.
“Most staff did their best to work with the patients some of whom had major problems on a small budget.
“It was really one huge family.
“The nurses, psychologists, joiners and electricians were all close. It was a community.
“In a sense it was a bit of a different world.
“I think seeing the old place on screen will bring back a lot of memories for a lot of people.
“There were people who worked there for 40 or 50 years, so this will bring back a lot of memories for them.”
The idea of the project, according to disability support group and organisers Thera, is to show policymakers that disabled people should never again be institutionalised as a result of their disability.
While Andy agrees that disabled people should be protected, he is not convinced that the decision to close the hospital and move disabled people to community facilities was the right one.
He said: “People, at times, were very badly placed.
“In Strathmartine we gave some patients a job, which gave them responsibility.
“We had one guy who worked as our postman. He liked it and had freedom to roam in Strathmartine.
“When the facility was closed he was moved in to the community.
“I used to drive past and see him just staring out the window. It was hellish.”
Strathmartine Hospital was an institution created in the 19th Century for people with learning disabilities.
It was originally part of an asylum and orphanage in Baldovan, on the outskirts of Dundee.