Selby Civic Society will have their next speaker meeting on Thursday 17th September 2026, starting at 7.30pm, which will be held at Portholme Church, Portholme Road, Selby. £2 for members, £5 for non-members, which includes light refreshments.
Our subject for the September meeting is the story of Selby’s War Memorial Hospital, both old and new and medical provision in general within the town. Our speaker will be local historian David Lewis.
The foundation stone for the original hospital was laid in 1926, so to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the hospital, David, in conjunction with the Friends of Selby Hospital, has put together a new book entitled “A Century of Care,” to tell the story.
The talk will describe the pre-1914 medical provision in the town, along with the town meetings that led to the War Memorial Hospital. In November 1918, the country was struggling to come to terms with the enormity of the sacrifices that had been required to win the four year long World War. Up and down the country many town meetings were held to decide on appropriate actions. Common suggestions were to create tablets listing the names of the dead, to be displayed on civic buildings or in newly-created peace gardens. War memorials or cenotaphs were also regularly suggested, often next to buildings where books listing the names of the missing and dead could be displayed, along with regimental colours and the like.
Unusually, but not uniquely, Selebians, having discussed these options decided that whilst these were worthy memorials, a much more fitting way to record the sacrifice was to create a hospital. This would honour the memory of the fallen by creating a facility of use to those who remained.
The talk will explore the many and various ways in which Selebians raised the money, often just a penny at a time, to pay for the hospital. It will describe the royal dedication and opening ceremonies. It will go on to consider how the coming of the NHS affected local medical provision, developments during the subsequent forty years, the demise of the original hospital and its replacement by the current dual-purpose medical facility and Civic Centre.
David has dedicated the last few years to researching the history of Selby and has produced 6 books of various aspects of that history. The editing of this new book provides an excellent insight into a hospital which has always been “so much more than just a building.”
Copies of the commemorative book “A Century of Care” will be available to buy and attendees are also invited, just as the Selebians of a century ago were, to bring along their spare change to donate towards funds for the improvement of facilities at the Hospital.
Selby Civic Society is looking forward to welcoming David and hearing about this fascinating story of our town.
