GEORGE Bradford is making a date to mark a very special anniversary later this week.

The trust behind Poltimore House, on the outskirts of Exeter, is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a birthday bash and it is appealing for the 1,401 babies born at the house between 1945 and 1960 to come forward and join in the celebration.

The 'babies' and all their families are invited so it promises to be quite an event on Sunday, March 21.

And George, who was born at Poltimore House in July 1952, will be there.

George, who now lives in Dawlish, also contracted tuberculosis while at the hospital.

"It affected quite a lot of babies and it was a tough old start for me. I was born there and then later I went to the old Honeylands Hospital near Polsloe Bridge. In fact it wasn't until I was nearly five years old that I was able to go home to my parents."

George grew up to become a painter and decorator and, as luck would have it, was later called on to work at the by now empty Poltimore.

He said: "It was quite strange because this was before the vandals moved in and caused so much damage.

"The place was just as it has been left. There was a mortuary in the basement and the old servants' rooms in the roof, with the old beds and everything still in place. Some people found it quite spooky and some of the blokes would not stay there after dark.

"I have spoken to others who had been there and they too said they had funny feeling about the place."

Hopefully, the spirts will be cheerier mood when the birthday celebrations take place.

Amy Coupland, Poltimore project officer, said that since an Echo appeal, she had been inundated with calls from those born at the old hospital.

"It has been amazing and I now have between 30 and 40 people who were born there that we knew nothing about.

"It has been wonderful but we really need to get the public behind us on this project."

Between 1945 and 1960 10,013 patients were admitted, 4,674 on the NHS. A total of 1,401 babies were born at Poltimore. The maternity unit was closed in 1960 and, after the retirement of doctors Richard and Mary Fortescue-Foulkes, the property was sold to the South West Regional Hospital Board in 1962 and it became part of the Exeter Hospitals Group in 1963.

It remained a medical establishment until the new Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital was built at Wonford. It was eventually sold in 1975. The house then fell into a state of disrepair. In recent years things have been looking up — the house has a group of friends which has done much to breathe new life into the Grade-II listed property and its extensive grounds.

The party on March 21 will run from noon until 2pm. If you wish to attend or can help with providing some cakes contact Amy Coupland on amy.coupland@poltimore.org or call 07909 090475. For more details, visit www.poltimore.org.