Visiting the Hospital
Visiting for patients was restricted in the early days of Great Barr Park Colony. Too frequent visits were considered unsettling for patients in a ‘training colony.’ Also, the ‘colony’, later the ‘hospital’, took in patients from as far afield as Stourbridge and Tamworth, which made visiting difficult.
West Bromwich Corporation introduced a special service 6A from West Bromwich to Great Barr Hall from May 31st 1926. This only ran on visiting day, the first Sunday in the month. In 1935 this was altered to be the first and third Saturdays in the month to fit in with revised visit days. In July 1936 the service was numbered 27.
From 1948 the service was re-defined as going to St. Margaret's Hospital. The service terminated at the entrance on the Queslett Road and it was not until February 1949 that the special service was extended up the drive to the Hospital building, saving visitors the long walk.
In later years visiting was on a weekly basis and much more relaxed.