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Fire at St. George's
- Thread starter Mr X
- Start date
riverwayevents
Riverway Events
A bit controversial here, and don't get me wrong, i'm 100% for saving and renovating old buildings, as i've done it for a job....but....firstly in my opinion, the building in question has very little architectural value, it just happens to be big, old and "grand?". If you stand at the front and look at the building for instance its not particularly inspiring in detail. (the main entrance was an afterthought). Secondly, i was given a tour of the place 18 months ago whilst quoting to replace ALL the existing rotten lintels (i think the labour value was approaching 500K just for that) and the feeling i got was that it was what it was....an old mental institution where many sick people had had the misfortune to be placed (i laughed at the "cells" being turned into "apartments) and almost certainly many horrible things had happened in there ! Its now a ruin and will cost a fortune to renovate. I joked with the Pritchard agent that even old Fred didn't have the money to see this one through. There are a number of buildings in this town that have dissapeared over the last 20-30 years and people can rightly claim that they should still be there....i just don't think this is one of them. Sorry and all that folks
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
Thats fair enough, we all have our own opinions. I really like the place, but then I have a strange hatred of new builds! Been in too many flats where the people you can hear shagging are actually 2 flats across, and when a baby cries the whole block wakes up. On the plus side they are brilliant for wireless networks!
Out of interest, do you think it would have been worth renovating before it was allowed to fall into such disrepair?
Out of interest, do you think it would have been worth renovating before it was allowed to fall into such disrepair?
riverwayevents
Riverway Events
Don't get me wrong, the discussion and designs etc that should replace it if it were not listed and/or it was too unsafe to repair are a different matter. I agree whole heartedly that most modern builds are at the best uninspiring and at worst "carbuncles" (apologies Charlie). But we're talking a different age and different economics. Fred Pritchard could employ the best classicly trained architect to design something on a par with Blenheim Palace but it would obviously never get built due to the costs involved in construction.
In terms of this building, its obviously seriously deteriorated since it was last used but a vast majority of the works needed now to bring it up to modern standards would also have been needed 10-15 years ago. If i recall a massive lump of it will be pulled down anyway leaving what you would call the main building. I just don't think the building merits the kind of listing that many others in this town should have had but didn't. In terms of economics as of 2010, if the building was still publicly owned, and the government or the local health PCT had to renovate it and they told tax payers it would cost 50M, would the public feel it was worth while keeping ? Having said that to balance the argument, Pritchard Holdings are in property development to make money and you've got to take the rough with the smooth if you wanna keep a fleet of bentleys !!
In terms of this building, its obviously seriously deteriorated since it was last used but a vast majority of the works needed now to bring it up to modern standards would also have been needed 10-15 years ago. If i recall a massive lump of it will be pulled down anyway leaving what you would call the main building. I just don't think the building merits the kind of listing that many others in this town should have had but didn't. In terms of economics as of 2010, if the building was still publicly owned, and the government or the local health PCT had to renovate it and they told tax payers it would cost 50M, would the public feel it was worth while keeping ? Having said that to balance the argument, Pritchard Holdings are in property development to make money and you've got to take the rough with the smooth if you wanna keep a fleet of bentleys !!
zakkwylde87
Well-Known Forumite
It's madness....
vodelia
Well-Known Forumite
This place has been empty for just about as long as I can remember although I did do some of my nurse training at the new St George's in the early 2000s. I remember collecting my shiny new student nurse uniform from the laundry next door on Crooked Bridge Road.
Went for a walk round there yesterday to watch the firemen damping it down and to be honest it just looks like the shell is all that's left of the main building.
Sad to see it left to become a ruin as, from photographs, it did look very grand when it was up and running.
http://www.derelicte.co.uk/stafford-county-lunatic-asylum-st-georges-hospital There are some interesting stories here from old staff etc.
Went for a walk round there yesterday to watch the firemen damping it down and to be honest it just looks like the shell is all that's left of the main building.
Sad to see it left to become a ruin as, from photographs, it did look very grand when it was up and running.
http://www.derelicte.co.uk/stafford-county-lunatic-asylum-st-georges-hospital There are some interesting stories here from old staff etc.
tek-monkey
wanna see my snake?
Used to walk through it on the way to college, before it got closed down.
Can't believe how much scaffolding there is in those photo's on the link by vodelia. I went past it on the way to Stafford Rangers on Saturday morning and first thought it was the prison on fire, either way stupidity aside realising it was the old St.Georges, on the way home gone 7pm the smoke was clearly visible in the sky against the dark sky. Was obviously a significant fire, know it's listed, but I think looking at the state of it, I agree with riverwayevents point of view really, I wasn't old enough to know it when it was in use I don't think, but I would say that the land could be used better now, it could be housing people, providing entertainment etc providing something for the people of Stafford, as a shell it does very little. If it hadn't gone so derelict I would support it's regeneration, but it looks far past it. Will be interesting to see what Pritchard Holdings do with it, didnt know they owned it.
White Ranker
Well-Known Forumite
Looks like they still want to push on with the building work there in autumn.
Mr Pritchard said: “It is not as catastrophic as you might first think. We are going to retain the structure, the firefighters did a brilliant job of protecting the integrity of the building. ”
Mr Pritchard said the fire had done a lot of the work for him as it was intended to replace the roof and floors anyway. He said there had been numerous break-ins at the site by people wanting to see inside building.
Full story here.....
http://www.expressandstar.com/2010/03/08/arson-fear-on-hospital-fire/
Mr Pritchard said: “It is not as catastrophic as you might first think. We are going to retain the structure, the firefighters did a brilliant job of protecting the integrity of the building. ”
Mr Pritchard said the fire had done a lot of the work for him as it was intended to replace the roof and floors anyway. He said there had been numerous break-ins at the site by people wanting to see inside building.
Full story here.....
http://www.expressandstar.com/2010/03/08/arson-fear-on-hospital-fire/
db
#chaplife
suspected arson, according to the bbc:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/8555772.stm
i'm sure this will come as no surprise to many of you..
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/staffordshire/8555772.stm
i'm sure this will come as no surprise to many of you..
wmrcomputers
Stafford PC & laptop repair specialist
That's what I was thinking
Mr X
Well-Known Forumite
Just realised nobody has actually said hello to you yet, so...Jimbob said:I was on night shift there on the night of the fire, certainly added some excitement to an otherwise quiet night.
Its not the first time its been set alight so hardly suprising, especially with the amount of people / squatters that hang around there
Welcome to the Stafford Forum, Jimbob!
zakkwylde87
Well-Known Forumite
There's a lot of crazy goings on down there...
