Five Generations at the Fairmile Hospital

The Fair Mile Hospital was until relatively recently Berkshire’s county lunatic asylum. If the term ‘lunatic asylum’ sends shivers down your spine, be ready to adjust your perceptions. The Victorian asylum system was a well-founded effort to tackle mental illness head-on through compassion, diligent care and research. No mental institution was ever entirely sweetness and harmony. However, these places made possible valuable and largely unrecognised advances in mental health care. Ian Wheeler’s illustrated talk examines Fair Mile’s foundation, growth and methods through the eyes of ten of its former employees. All were members of his family, and their service spanned over a century

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