'Windrush & Commonwealth NHS Nurses and Midwives Statue' by Dr Jak Beula

At the entrance to the Whittington Hospital, on Magdala Avenue, there is a stylised mother and child statue.

It depicts a mother cradling her newborn baby, with the mother wearing a nurses' fob watch.

This unique statue was commissioned to commemorate the extraordinary efforts of the some 40,000 Windrush and Commonwealth NHS nurses and midwives, who came to the UK between 1948 and 1973 in order to help the newly created NHS.

The statue consists of 16 pieces of granite and is 2.1m in height, width and depth and cost £100,000.

It was unveiled on Friday September 10, 2021.

A worn brass plaque reads:

'The Windrush & Commonwealth NHS Nurses and Midwives Statue' was conceived and designed by Johnny Alexander Bebeula Dodd, aka Dr Jak Beula. 

He named the piece "NICU Suite 16" because of the 16 pieces of granite used to create the statue. 

It is dedicated to all Commonwealth National Health Service staff, notably Nurses and Midwives from Africa and the Caribbean, who have worked in the NHS since its foundation in 1948. 

The Nubian Jak Community Trust thanks Whittington Health NHS Trust and Islington Council for supporting this NHS Memorial. 

Special thanks to Islington BH365, Haringey Council, Ernst & young, Arsenal Football Club, Entain PLC, Havas Group, Aviva, Crowdfunder UK and the generous donations from nursing organisations and the general public for the successful delivery of this statue. May she be a source of inspiration to all NHS staff and provide light,  hope and pride to those who come into contact with this memorial.

Holborn Union Infirmary

The main building (rear) and the north 'Nightingale' ward (front), from the east.

Between 1877-79 Henry Saxon Snell was asked to design a new Union Infirmary, to the west of Archway Road, Highgate. He had previously designed other London workhouses, including St Marylebone and St Olave Union infirmaries.

Henry Saxon Snell designed the infirmary with a large four-storey central building, where the beds, on the wards, were placed at right angles to the main walls, along internal partitions. 

The north building.

'Nightingale' Wards to the north (male) and south (female) were linked to the central building with ground-floor corridors. Theses wards had their beds placed in long rows against the walls, with windows on either side that created a through-draught. 

Holborn Union Infirmary, from the west.

Although opening in 1879 work continued on the site until its completion in 1885.

The infirmary also included a workhouse, care facilities, a laundry room and a workshop building, all built in a decorative Gothic Revival style.

Walking with family: Day 1 - Archway to Kenwood House... and beyond

Wednesday August 14, 2024.

As we had some time away from work and the girls were away from school for the holidays, we decided to spend some time visiting some sites in London.

We booked a taxi and headed to Watford Junction, where we caught an Avanti West Coast to Euston and, from there, a Northern line train to Archway.

After topping up on a few snacks fro the day we caught a 210 bus to Compton Avenue, where we alighted and walked the short distance to Kenwood House.

Kenwood House is a former stately home, which was originally built circa 1616. It was remodelled by the architect Robert Adam in the 18th century and was home to the Earls of Mansfield until the 20th century.

Besides being a stately home, Kenwood House is home to historic paintings by the likes of John Crome, Anthony van Dyck, Claude de Jongh, JMW Turner, Thomas Gainsborough, Rembrandt and many more.

During our visit there was an exhibition by Stephen Farthing entitled 'Strike a Pose: Stephen Farthing and the Swagger Portrait'. These are portraits of Lord Howe, reimagined by Stephen Farthing, and were pretty spectacular.

You can see more photos from Kenwood House by clicking the link below.

Gallery

After visiting the house we sat in the grounds and ate our lunch, before we took a stroll through the grounds, eventually finding ourselves heading south through Hampstead Heath. 

The weather was perfect for a wander through the Heath, with many people jogging, walking dogs, having a picnic or, like this, just taking in the surroundings.