'Work a day for your hospital'

For there, on page 7 of the Watford Observer for October 1, 1937, was a full page advertisement headed THIS CONCERNS YOU in bold black capital letters, underlined, and spanning the whole broadsheet page.

The “ad” featured “a message from your mayor” and, underneath a picture of said mayor, Alderman H. Coates, ran the following:

“HRH the Duchess of Kent is honouring Watford with her presence on October 27, 1937, when she is to open the Extensions to the Peace Memorial Hospital.

“To show our appreciation of her visit and of the hospital which serves our twon and district so well, we owe it to ourselves to see that the building is debt free for this Royal occasion.

“We need £35,000 to complete the extension scheme. This sounds a lot, but much of it can be raised if everyone will support my proposal for giving according to their means.”

The next paragraph was originally all in capital letters, but I’ve turned it into “upper and lower”, as we say, to make it easier to read (bear in mind, this was on a full page, not a single column):

“We must each pay our share towards the enlarged hospital and on behalf of the appeals committee I suggest that you, personally, might spare a round sum equal to, or greater than, one day’s wages, salary or income as a voluntary gift towards wiping out this debt now.”

And there is was in a nutshell. Work a Day for Your Hospital, as the slogan had it.

Makes sense, really (remember this was a decade or so before the creation of the National Health Service). If we all use the hospital, we should all pay a bit towards it.

The appeal concluded: “I am approaching the end of my year of office as your Mayor. It has been a strenuous year, but your wholehearted response to my personal appeal to you in connection with this scheme will add, more than anything else could, to my pleasure in my work for you.”

You could either send off your cash to the hospital directly, or collectors would come round to your house.

Sounds like a cracking idea which, surely, would be greeted with enthusiasm by the good folk of Watford. Or would it?

The Editor clearly thought so. His Leader that week was certainly all in favour.

“The generosity of the people of Watford and district to the Hospital has already been little short of marvellous,” he wrote. “They found £90,000 in the first instance and the extension appeal has already brought in nearly £36,000. Thus, over a period of some 13 years, £126,000 has been provided. No other local charity has been allowed to languish in the meantime and this great and continuous flow of donations is something of which the neighbourhood may justly be proud. It shows that everyone, rich and poor, has an interest in the hospital. They regard it as their hospital with doors always open to the sick and suffering and there can be no fear that support will ever fail.”

He continued: “It is not possible to estimate what sum would be raised if the residents all sent contributions in the proportion suggested by the Mayor. In general appeals, many are doubtful what sum they ought to give; there is no standard to guide them and only inclination to act upon.

“Here is a new proposal, new at least as far as Watford is concerned. Only those who have to look at every penny before they spend it would really miss a donation which represents a day’s income, and if such an amount be not available at once, a promise to pay between now and Christmas would be welcomed.

“Happily, times are now good and Watford is one of the fortunate towns where there is very little unemployment. The appeal could not be made in more auspicious circumstances.”

The following week, the Mayor made another appeal – this time via the cinema.

An article on October 8, 1937, headed “Mayor of Watford Breaks Into Films” reads: “Many cinema goers must have been astonished to see the Mayor of Watford on the screen and to find him so at home in this medium on his first experience of making a talkie.

“But on Monday afternoon, Alderman Coates, accompanied by the Mace bearer and Mr Kim Peacock, reported at a film studio in Wardour Street to do yet another job of work in connection with his appeal on behalf of the Appeals Committee for the extensions to the Peace Memorial Hospital.

“It was a unique experience to watch the Mayor having a powder puff run over his face, this being the only make-up used in spite of the powerful lights which surrounded him. Mr Coates took everything very calmly.

“The first run through was a minute and a half too long, so the speech had to be cut.

“It was decided to shoot the film in three sections. The first take was going splendidly when a voice shouted “cut” and, as every artist in a film studio feels, the Mayor thought he’d made a mistake but it was technical trouble.

“People had been banging about on the floor above and the sensitive microphone had picked up the intereference. But this was the only shot which had to be taken twice; the remaining two shots were OK first time.

“The Mayor didn’t stick to the script all the time but as there were no aggrieved authors to remonstrate or argue, he managed to add to the effectiveness of what he had to say by a slight hesitation here and there which, in the finished film, comes over very naturally.

“Incidentally, this short was produced in record time. It wasn’t “in the box” before 5.30 on Monday afternoon and it was being shown at Watford on Tuesday evening.”

But despite all this, the appeal was not the hit the Mayor had hoped it would be. It was, you’ll remember, £35,000 they were after. The Watford Observer of October 22, 1937, reported that the Mayor’s “sincere and personal” appeal had raised just £700 but, the paper said, “it is hoped that as many people generally leave everything to the last minute, they have done so with relation to his appeal, and that cheques are or will be in the post before next Wednesday.”

However, that’s not entirely fair. “Well over £1,000” was raised from the Children’s Purses, more than 300 of which were presented to the Duchess of Kent during her visit.

The day of the Duchess’s visit was not a good one weatherwise either.

“Unfortunately, the weather was the worst experienced for many months,” reported the Watford Observer of October 29, 1937. “All day long rain poured down and the crowds who gathered round the hospital were drenched. The adverse conditions, however, did not affect the cordiality with which her Royal Highness was welcomed; and the proceedings at the Hospital were most successfully carried through. A distinguished company assembled and a striking feature of the ceremony was the presentation of over 300 purses. It was announced that as the result of appeals for the extension funds, the total sum raised was £39,548 [remember, £35,000 had already been raised before the appeal was launched] and that to complete the scheme another £30,000 is required.”

The Mayor gave a breakdown of the sum in his speech, where he revealed that his appeal had raised £887 15s. “It is not enough,” he said, “but it is very wonderful. We still want £30,451 5s. I am quite sure of one thing, that the best tribute we can pay to the Duchess for coming here today is to make a point of seeing that balance is cleared off at the very earliest moment. I feel sure she would not wish for any better thanks.”

Before we leave this occasion, I was amused by the following paragraph which appeared in the Watford Observer’s report of the Duchess’s visit: “Mr Rock Carling procured for the Matron some of the Duchess’s favourite Greek cigarettes and when offered one, her Royal Highness was obviously  delighted.” How times change!