Royal Sea Bathing Hospital, Margate

[Diapason]

I was there a few years ago along with representatives of the local council and also from the British Institute of Organ Studies and I gathered that attempts to save the organ were intended, but that was at least three years ago and I haven`t heard of any progress being made. It is listed, in spite of its condition, on the National Pipe Organ Register as an historic instrument and awarded a Grade 1 listing. Of course, it would cost a fortune to renovate.

[Dave Smith]

Diaperson. How terrible that the organ was allowed to get in this state. Pigeons have a lot to answer for. And I don't suppose the good people of Margate are aware.

[Diapason]

The hospital chapel and its pipe organ are now in a terrible state mainly due to the invasion of pigeons. The organ is now on the `At risk Register`.


The organ was built in 1888 by the famous Henry `Father` Willis who also built an organ in Canterbury Cathedral in 1886 (the new organ recently installed in the cathedral still contains some work by Willis), the Royal Albert Hall, Liverpool Cathedral, etc. the latter two instruments being the largest in this country.

[DaveTheTrain]

I have a lovely Weir Junior pump on my steam engine, complete with tallow lubricator.  Fantastic boiler feed pumps.
DTT

[Dave Smith]

DtD. I worked for Copperad initially, taken over by Ideal Standard- what a shower they were! Latterly Grundfos Pumps, Commercial/ Industrial division. We replaced nearly all the old steam driven Weir boiler feed pumps with a, Tiny in comparison, multi stage feed pump. ( a lot of engineers couldn't believe the downsize could possibly work!). Of course, coal & coke were eventually replaced by gas in a lot of instances- or heavy oil in very big installations. Some of the older hospitals still worked on self generated DC current in those days!

[DaveTheTrain]

That is an interesting observation, Dave, and common for many boiler houses.  The men took a pride in their boiler and keeping the fittings gleaming.  I think it helped when insurance companies sent difficult inspectors to do the annual exams and it was easier to keep the boiler in tip top condition all year.  A previous member on the old forum, Sentinels father was the resident engineer at Chartham Hospital in the boiler house and kept that  boiler immaculate from what I understand. 
Who did you work for Dave, was it Klinger?
DTT

[Dave Smith]

Under Guess the Place, is a very interesting account of this hospital, its origins, etc.,etc. Thanks for that, it whiled away almost half an hour. I was only involved there once. As a sales engineer, based in Maidstone in 1966/67/68, I visited all the hospital engineers- + group engineers in those days- in Kent & Sussex. Many of them at that time were ex Royal Navy or Merchant Navy engineers (the perfect job as they really were- & had to be- "jack of all trades"- & I particularly remember the ex Navy hospital engineer at the Sea Bathing Hospital. When I entered the boiler house ( coal fired steam boilers, which I was involved with), everything- & I mean everything- was gleaming. Not just the copper pipework that you could see your face in but the highly polished floor( that you could eat your dinner off!), the boiler itself- not that easy for coal fired- not a speck of dirt or dust anywhere. Within 20 years or so, all that changed as those engineers retired. And later all the VERY large " mental" hospitals were closed e.g. Darenth at Dartford, a 1200 bed with a school, etc. "cradle to grave for many"! They'd been there since the year dot! All coal fired steam boiler heated, which cause problems in getting the calorifier water temperature low enough to stop inmates burning themselves. Enough- sorry- but I was there & it is history & that is what the KHF is about!