Wanted: Everyone born in the Cottage Hospital for huge group photo

Were you born in this distinctive Market Harborough building?
Market Harborough's Cottage Hospital pictured 15 years ago. NNL-151202-141430001Market Harborough's Cottage Hospital pictured 15 years ago. NNL-151202-141430001
Market Harborough's Cottage Hospital pictured 15 years ago. NNL-151202-141430001

It’s the town’s “Cottage Hospital” on Coventry Road, and if you were born in the town between 1910 and 1990, it’s very likely you first saw the light of day here.

If that’s you, you’re urgently wanted for an important local history project - a landmark photograph.

Market Harborough Movie Makers (MHMM) are making a film about the cottage hospital, before it closes - and possibly disappears altogether.

Top local photographer Andy Carpenter - also the Mail’s photographer - will be taking a photo outside the hospital at 9.30am on Sunday, March 12 - a week on Sunday.

And MHMM want as many people as possible who were born in the hospital to be in the historic picture.

Before its maternity word finally closed in 1990, most residents born in Market Harborough after 1910 were born in the town’s Cottage Hospital.

“We’ve been trying to get the message out all round the town” said MHMM’s Hilary Hearnshaw. “But we’ve no idea how many will turn up.”

Organisers say the photo at the front of the hospital will go ahead “come rain or shine”.

People in the photo could be aged from 26 to - theoretically - 107!

The movie makers have already filmed a large number of people who responded to an earlier plea for information about the hospital.

They are still looking for old photographs of the hospital from the last 107 years, particularly the building’s interior.

Mike Beech, who is directing the film, said: “We are amazed at the number of retired staff and patients that have come forward with information and offers to appear in our film to celebrate the Hospital that Harborough Built.

“Most of the people who contacted us thought that it was a wonderful place with a real family atmosphere. They are all sad to see it go.

“It would be wonderful to finish our film with the sight of a large number of Harborians who were born here waving goodbye to the ‘Cottage’.”

Note: there will be no parking on site on the day.

Mike can be contacted at [email protected] or on 07854 237671 if you have any old photos he could copy.

Market Harborough Movie Makers is an award winning amateur film group. Further information at www.harboroughmoviemakers.org

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