Were you at Great Ormond St Hospital in the late 60s/early 70s?

[Aparecium]

I was an inpatient and outpatient there for several years. Recently I discovered that a friend was, too, though we did not know each other then. We have many similar memories of GOSH. My friend says that everyone she knows who was a patient there at that time remembers something specific in the waiting room. Certainly she and I both remember that thing.

So, if you were there then, do you remember the special thing in the waiting room?

I wasn’t there, but imagining a giant Ronald Macdonald!

Well before Ronald MacDonald.

I've never been there. But I did spend a lot of time in paediatric clinic waiting rooms as a child in the 70s/80s. So I'm going to guess fish tank, as they all seemed to have a fish tank.

Jimmy Saville.

No and no.

I was there for a week in the 70s, but don’t remember the waiting room

Tortoise?

Arf at Jimmy Saville.

The giant rocking horse?

I think this is the one. It was in the cafe at one point and then moved to the outpatient waiting room. It was great fun - the saddle was at least 5 feet off the ground. Would not be allowed these days.

I was a patient from 1967-1980 and spent a month as an inpatient in 1970.

Yes! The first ex-regular-patient to post also remembers it!

Though I remember it being dark-coloured. Mum used to have to lift me onto it at first, but by the time I was discharged I could climb up alone.

Queen Mary's Roehampton had one in the early 2000s when I first took dd there. It was rather ragged by that time and I think it went when they rebuilt the hospital.

They had one of those in the 2000s in antenatal appointment waiting room at my local hospital, massive and dangerous so DC loved it but us knackered pregnant mums spending all their time lifting toddlers on and off...not so much.

OMG I was there in the late 80s/ early 90s and it was still there! I’ve always wondered if I’d remembered it properly but seems I did. I loved that horse!

St Barts hospital had a few rocking horses in the outpatients waiting room as well and they seemed massive! I used to love going for my appointments just to have a go on them.

I remember a huge teddy bear sitting in the waiting room's corner. From 1971 until the mid-80s - it became increasingly raggedy as the years went on from children climbing and hugging him. Eventually, there was a sign on him to say no climbing. I hope I didn't imagine this 🤔

I had my appendix out there aged about 6 in 1976. I think I remember the giant teddy bear.
I remember a fire on the ward balcony but I think I might have imagined it.

Was there in the 50's and remember being enthralled and scared by the rocking horse. Great to see photos as not many cameras back then !

I found your post while looking for old GOSH information and pictures from the 1960's. I was there for about a year 1963/4. I remember a really big rocking horse in the main entrance..... and laying in bed looking at the cranes over London.

I was and I remember the giant rocking horse in the waiting area / reception area downstairs . And the yummy sausage rolls in the canteen !

I remember the rocking horse as dark coloured too . And it stood in the middle of the waiting area

I seem to remember two standing either side of a ward or something. I was never a patient but my brother was.