Make Budget Day NHS Day 1988

COHSE called a Make Budget Day NHS Day as part of the 1988 campaign, it was later supported by the Labour Party

Ironically, the Conservatives have called for the same in 2007

Dorset Asylum -NAWU

Fred Guppy Dorset Asylum

If you look at any National Asylum Workers' Union Magazine for 1910 or 1918 you will see that Fred Guppy lived at Church Lane, Charminster, Dorset. He continued to do so until his death.

Fred Guppy was founder-member of the Dorset Branch. In a recent conversation he told me how the first branch meetings were held on a bridge some distance from the hospital, how in later years the meetings were held in the hospital with lookouts for fear of surprise by the medical superintendent.

Fred Guppy was branch secretary for many many years. He was a JP and for 50 years a member of Dorchester Rural District Council; he was chairman of the council for five years. He was also Chairman of Charminster Parish Council for 37 years.

He was recently awarded the MBE, a few days later he was dead. (1969)

G.N.N Branch secretary

Dorset Branch.

COHSE Journal October 1969

1974 Nurses Action

COHSE and NUPE nurses on the march in 1974, the location looks like Epsom town centre. This campaign led to best pay rises ever under Halsbury (arguably nurses secured better rises under Clinical Grading campaign in 1988)

COHSE Banner

COHSE Banner 1964

The first national banner of COHSE was produced by patients and staff at Darenth Park Hospital, Dartford in 1964

E R Harmes COHSE Regional secretary

1st March 2007 NHS Together

Dateline Kingston Hospital, Surrey, 1st March 2007

NHS Consultants, Chaplin's, nurses, student nurses, admin staff join the lunch time protest outside Kingston Hospital.

Against cuts and closures

Nora Pearce UNISON branch Secretary and Dave Prentis General Secretary

1970 Nurses Pay Demonstation

COHSE's famous Fleet Street nurses branch and Banstead COHSE branch, off to the Elephant & Castle, then the Department of Health headquarters.

To attend a COHSE rally 13th January 1970 on nurses pay

Other COHSE branches in attendance included,Leavesden, Leybourne Grove, Park Prewitt, Whitecroft (IOW), Tooting Bec, Oxford, Goodmayes, Warley, Whipps Cross, Claybury, St Bernards (Ealing),

COHSE Leopardstown Park Hospital, Dublin

Leopardstown Hospital, Dublin

It is a little known fact that, COHSE had a branch of the union in Dublin for many years.

The COHSE branch was based at Leopardstown Park Hospital, a British War Pensions hospital located at Blackrock, Co Dublin opened in 1917.


The building is large mansion house in 100 acres of grounds, given by the Powers (Whisky) family.


The hospital was established to care for injured Irish soilders in the British Army. It was administered by trustees of the British Department of Health and hospital staff were paid British NHS Whitley pay rates

The COHSE branch was established in 1948 by Jim Doyle a ward assistant (later ambulance driver) with Tim Canty a nurse (who moved to nurse in England) with two other members called Ball and Byrne. In the late 1960's the branch had 60 members and Jim Doyle Branch Chairman, Jack Brennan Branch Secretary, Sean Whelan Vice Chairmen In the grounds of the hospital patients still wore the old "hospital blues" familiar to hospitals in WW1

In 1979 the hospital was transfered to a local Hospital Board (whick includes a UK representative) and still carers for injured soilders

Picture Left to right Jim Doyle, Sean Whelan. Jack Brennan (October 1969)

The National Asylum Workers Union had members in Southern Ireland until 1917 (branches left to form own Irish Mental hospital workers Union, later ITGWU, later SIPTU)

Bill Dunn

Bill Dunn COHSE (1927-1983)

Bill Dunn COHSE Hanwell Ambulanceman was born in Liverpool on 8^th March 1927. he died of cancer on St Patrick’s Day 17^th March 1983 at the age of 56.

Anyone who met Bill could not fail to admire his courage and fighting spirit. There were many occasions during his life when he needed a considerable amount of both. One of a family of six, he was orphaned by the age of three and spent his childhood in Dr Barnardo's Homes or with foster parents.

It was during the time that he lived in Dr Barnardo's that he first learned about socialism and the trade union movement from no less a person than one of Labour's first women MPs, Bessie Braddock, who was a regular visitor.

Bill joined the Royal Marines at the age of sixteen, under a special arrangement with Dr Barnardo's and saw active service in various parts of the world during his fourteen years' service. He enjoyed the comradeship but hated the system. He had a strong dislike for what he regarded as petty rules and regulations. In fact, while in the marines he was promoted to the rank of lance corporal no less than six times, but, as Bill put it, 'I got busted every time'.

Bill suffered further personal tragedies during the war when he lost one brother on active service and another in a submarine accident in Liverpool Bay.

After leaving the armed services, Bill worked for a time with the Shell Oil company, traveling all over the world. Then he worked in a number of jobs before joining the London Ambulance Service in 1968. Such was his energy that, on his leaving an agent job to work for a plant hire firm, three men were taken on in his place.

Bill met his wife, Maureen, in1964 They were married in 1966 and had two daughters, Alison, now sixteen, and Claire, now thirteen.

I first met Bill when he attended the No. 6 Regional Council meeting in October, 1975, as delegate for Park Royal Branch. Within a few months he had formed a branch of COHSE at Hanwell Ambulance Station, Ealing, London which went on to become one of the biggest branches in the region. Bill was elected Regional Vice-Chairman in 1978, and Regional Chairman one year later, in 1979, a position he held until his death.

He was totally committed to socialism and the trade union movement, and made it clear that as Regional Chairman he expected to be involved with branches' problems. He travelled all over the region, giving support to members who needed it.

He was also active in the CND movement and took a special interest in mentally handicapped children.

It was absolutely typical of Bill to fight his last fight with the same courage as he had fought all his life — his way, head on. He refused to hide or run away. He attended every rally organised in the region during the last pay campaign,

although obviously he was in considerable pain and had difficulty in breathing. I remember suggesting to Bill on one occasion that I should hire a taxi to take him to the rallying point rather than walk. I will not repeat exactly what his reply was, suffice to say my Regional Chairman left me in no doubt that he intended to walk.

It is easy to feel despondent about the loss of someone who was so strong and seemed so indestructible, but to give up the struggle for all the things Bill believed in is just unthinkable. Rest in peace, brother. Your fight goes on.

(Tribute by Pat McGinley,
COHSE No. 6 North West Thames & Oxford Regional Secretary.)

NOTE
Bill Dunn was one of the most important COHSE lay activist and showed great leadership especially, during the 1979 Ambulance Strike when his house and car were attacked by those opposed to the strike and he was also attacked by those on the ultra left, who condemned his insistence on “Emergency Cover” during the strike.

His support for nuclear disarmament at national COHSE conference was key in securing COHSE’s conference support

A Trophy the Mallinson – Dunn Trophy is awarded annual, since 1984, to an ambulance man or women for recognition of their work in COHSE now UNISON

A garden at the front of Hanwell Ambulance Station is dedicated to his memory

Note on COHSE Hanwell/Ealing branch

The Hanwell branch under Bill, included Ealing and Hillingdon Hospital at one time in the late 1970s. Hillingdon Hospital not reforming a branch until 1982 under Mike Lee a COHSE nursing Auxiliary (who later went onto the Football Association and European Football association fame) Then Michael Walker 1983-1991) and now Florence Portugal (1992-

Marion Way (NUPE Ambulance steward at Hillingdon, London Ambulance Service first women convenor and Labour Councillor, won the Mallinson-Dunn Trophy after it was adopted by UNISON)

Bill took the much photographed delegation from Ealing to TUC Conference in 1982 during the 12% campaign. Also spoke at LSE in 1982

COHSE London Ambulance Service branch (699) established November 1964
Branch Chairman Bert Conaway, 10 Silver Walk, Rotherhithe (ex docker for 15 years) Ted King (Secretary) 16 St Stephen's, Bow (ex bus driver) both worked at West Smithfield Ambulance Station (known as Whisky Station - from their radio call signal) since 1962.
First COHSE LAS branch meeting held at Hop Pole Pub, Gambia Street, S1 on 17th December 1964 (with 80 members)

COHSE Cars

COHSE conference passed a resolution in 1969 to ensure COHSE officers had cars and increase mobility and speed of officers.

15 Ford Escorts and a Ford Capri were secured in 1971.

The photo of officers with cars in front of Glen House, Banstead, 1971

Surely one of the worst front pages of a union journal ever

William Glanville

Mr. William Henry Glanville, a member of Surrey County Council for more than 20 years and a county alderman since 1952, died in July 1964 at his home in Mulgrave Road, Sutton, Surrey. Members of the county council stood in tribute to him at their meeting.

Mr. Glanville was for some years a Trustee of the National Union of County Officers NUCO, which was the Hospital and Welfare Services Union at the time of the amalgamation to form COHSE. He
was Chairman of the union's Legal Committee for a period, including part of the last war.

Miss Doris E. Westmacott, COHSE National Woman Officer, who worked with him on the union NEC told the COHSE Journal:

"Mr. Glanville had a good sense of humour and a quiet, determined approach to problems. He was a clear thinker and was always of great assistance to other members."

When he was 15, Mr. Glanville joined the Lewisham Board of Guardians. In 1948, he was appointed Chairman of the Netherne Hospital Management Committee. He was interested in music and was for many years a church organist.

Fred Green COHSE Regional Secretary

Fred Green

Fred Green began work as a half timer at the age of 12 in a Lancashire Cotton Mill.

He left school at 13 and went to evening classes.

He was a trade unionist at 12 and joined the Socialist Sunday School and Independent labour Party as a young man

He became a councillor at an early age

He took an interest in Lancashire history and Lancashire dialect and published articles on the subject

After the General Strike of 1926, he was victimised for two years and was out of work

He later secured employment in a Public Assistance Insitution and became a member of the Mental Hospital & Institutional Workers Union and became branch Chairman.

He became a full time officer in 1948 and later regional secretary for COHSE in the North West No 3 region. (COHSE Office, Liverpool Chambers, 4 Newmarket Place, Manchester)

Two outstanding achievements were the establishment of ancillary rates of pay and conditions on the Isle of Man, and organising from initial seven members in Northern Ireland a Northern Ireland region of 2,500 members

Retired 1970

Fred Green COHSE recruitment cup

COHSE Athletics

Frank Close

Former mill worker, later from 1935 as Charge nurse at Banstead Hospital (COHSE member)
At 21 he was the National Cross Country Champion 1935
In the twenties, Frank Cole Led Reading Athletics Club from comparative obscurity to its position as one of the strongest teams in the land
At the height of his success he was contracted diabetes, which seriously affected his future despite this represented Britain in 5,000m at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
buried Banstead Village, Churchyard 1970 (aged 56)
wife and two daughters



Jim Alder

Born in Glasgow in 1940, COHSE member at St Mary's hospital, Stannington, Morpeth, Northumberland in the maintenance Department (joined COHSE March 1965)

World Record holder for 30k which he ran in 1 hour 34 minutes and 1.8 seconds (at Walton,Surrey)

Runs 15 miles every day (including to work) and 25 miles on Sundays

Marathon Gold medal winner at 1966 and bronze medal at 1970 Commonwealth games. (For Scotland)




Thomas Richards

Former Welsh miner, COHSE member employed at Tooting Bec mental hospital.
Won silver medal in the Marathon at 1948 Olympics.
Time 2 hours thirty five minutes, seven minutes

Martin Kineavy

Martin Kineavy

Born in Galway, he came to England in 1957 and worked as a storekeeper at St Helen's Hospital, Barnsley for nine years. COHSE Branch Secretary 1966-1970

Appointed Regional Officer in November 1970. Became the very popular and progressive COHSE Regional Secretary

Married with 3 children

died circa 1984

Guildford COHSE 1982

National Demonstration, London 22nd September 1982 COHSE Guildford & District 1333