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Additional Comments on the article in the Autumn 1992 issue
Mrs.Tanner, of Malt Mill Lne, Alcester, remembers the soldiers at Ragley Hall as 'the blue boys' -- they dressed in quite bright blue jacket and trousers. Mrs.Tanner worked in a cafe in High Street and on Mondays and Thursdays about 15 or 20 came in for cups of tea; they had walked from Ragley to 'go to the pictures'. She is fairly sure that Mr. Boles, manager of the Picture House,let the soldiers in free. There was also a club behind the 'Turk's Head' and on some afternoons it was opened up for 'the blue boys' (normally they did not come out in the evenings). The patients at Ragley were not so much 'ill' as convalescent and Mrs.Tanner thinks that they really enjoyed their time there. One of them unfortunately drowned while boating in the lake.
Mrs.Millington of Shirley remembers the time when she was a teenager and joined with other V.A.D.s on a home nursing course as part of Red Cross training being held at Ragley.She remembers the Princess Royal coming to the Hall to inspect the V.A.D.s and the Girl Guides.She did voluntary duty on Sun-days at Alcester Hospital.She has a photograph of the Princess with other dignitaries at Ragley, with soldiers watching from a Hall window.
© G.E. Saville 1992