May Villa

My parents, Louis and Christa Frain were the ward Charge Nurse and Ward Sister at May Villa from approx. 1966 until we moved to Northampton in 1970 (Princess Marina Hospital), also long gone!

My sister and I lived with our parents in a flat above May Villa, which made life difficult for us, as at the time, mental health, in all it’s difficult forms we still very misunderstood and we had to nudge ridicule at school for living where we did.

I attended primary school in Abbots Langley, then spent two years at St. Joan of Arc Convent Grammar School in Rickmansworth. My sister Angela also went there.

I remember the O’Neill family who lived on Tanners Hill in the hospital houses. Particularly my friend Moira O’Neill. Sadly we lost touch in the early 1970’s when we moved to Northampton.

Annette Rands, I think lived in the one storey Abbots Langley Hospital, which like May Villa was on the opposite side of the road from the main hospital. I think Annette went to Loretta Grammar School in St. Albans.

Mary-Ann Campbell lived in a house at the bottom of the hospital on the way down towards Garston.

Twin brothers Dominic and Jeremy? McLaughlin lived in the other large Ward on the opposite side of the road from the main hospital.

What I would really like to know is who was Superindendent at the time. Was it Dr. Sheppard? If anyone could help I would be very grateful.