Renaming new Townlands Hospital - November
At the “Lest We Forget” Exhibition in the Old Fire Station Gallery in August 2014 we floated the idea of renaming Townlands Hospital to reflect the Henley War Memorial Hospital which closed in 1983. The name Townlands Memorial Hospital appealed greatly to the visitors who were approached at the exhibition. The idea was put on the back burner until more progress had been made on the actual building.
At the beginning of May 2016, after checking with the Mayor Councillor Lorraine Hillier, M.L.W. contacted Alec Cameron, Communications Manager, N.H.S. Property Services with the idea of changing the hospital name. Over the next few months with the unanimous backing of the Town Council, the Townlands Hospital Steering Group, support from the British Legion and a petition signed by over a thousand Henley residents the N.H.S. Property Services made their decision.
Around 7 pm on 21st October 2016 Alec Cameron phoned M.L.W. at home and told him that he was pleased to inform me that in light of strong community support for the name changing received from Lest We Forget, the Henley on Thames Town Council and Townlands Steering Group, the hospital will be renamed Townlands Memorial Hospital. The reasons given by the T.S.G. sum up quite succinctly the very appropriate reasons for the change.
The group had discussed the proposed name change several times with no oppostition
It reflects the name of the Henley and District War Memorial Hospital which closed in 1983
The group believes the delivery of the new hospital honours a pledge made to reinvest funds from the sale of the War Memorial Hospital in Townlands.
Lest We Forget wishes to thank N.H.S. Property Services and everyone who helped to make this name change possible.
The new signs were in place the very next day!
