Silent Minority – June 1981

Silent Minority, Tied To A Post, 11th June 1981Silent Minority, Yorkshire Post 10th June 1981Silent Minority June 11th 1981, (St Lawrence's) From 1920 to 1941, the asylum was known as Caterham Mental Hospital. In 1930, administration of the hospital passed to the London County Council. It then had 323 beds plus a nursery unit. In 1941, it became St Lawrence's Hospital and continued to provide care for the mentally handicapped. In 1974, the hospital came to public attention with the publication of the book Tongue Tied by Joseph ('Joey') John Deacon who had been a patient at the hospital since the age of eight in 1928. This was followed by the TV documentary Silent Minority in which the hospital featured in an unfavourable light. Silent Minority, Yorkshire Post 22nd June 1981

Silent Minority, aired on british television June 1981. The documentary spotlights alledgedly appalling conditions at Borocourt Hospital, Reading, Berks and St Lawrences Hospital Caterham, Surrey.

St Lawrences Hospital opened in 1871 and known as the South London Asylum

In 1974, the hospital came to public attention with the publication of the book Tongue Tied by Joseph (‘Joey’) John Deacon who had been a patient at the hospital since the age of eight in 1928. This was followed by the TV documentary Silent Minority in which the hospital featured in an unfavourable light.

The documentary brought out strong feelings at the time given the content which in one scene shows a child tied to a pole in a ward.

I have uploaded it in to 6 parts all roughly 9 minutes

http://youtu.be/zyiSVl5nCgI