No. 2 New Zealand General Hospital

It was while chatting with friends at a coffee morning earlier today that we learned of the Mount Felix Tapestry, currently on display at the Prestoungrange Gothenburg (The Goth) in Prestonpans.

In 44 panels it depicts the use of Mount Felix, a mansion house in Walton on Thames in Surrey, as the first hospital dedicated to treating wounded soldiers from New Zealand during WWI, opening on 26July 1915, taking in those wounded in Gallipoli; at one time there were 4,000 patients on site. Mount Felix became known as No. 2 New Zealand General Hospital  after a new hospital opened in August 1916 at Brockenhurst in Hampshire. As early as 1917 pioneering new techniques in facial reconstruction were introduced at Mount Felix, some of which are still in use today.
 
The panels were designed by Andrew Crummy, who is known for his work on the Prestonpans Tapestry, the Great Tapestry of Scotland and the Scottish Diaspora Tapestry and co-ordinated by Emily Boulting, Director of the Riverhouse Arts Centre, who states that 'the stories depicted merely scratch the surface of the lives of the people touched by Mount Felix, but our hope is that the tapestry celebrates not only individual tales of bravery and love, but also a heartwarming story of a community coming together to offer solace and comfort to soldiers far from home and suffering'.
 A 45th panel has been designed to be added when the tapestry tours New Zealand.

Never having been to The Goth, built in 1908, we were impressed by the architecture, especially the period stained glass and wall tiles, and would like to return for more photos, particularly as, annoyingly, both the memory card and the spare had been filled.