Eric Birbeck

Memories of Haslar: Staff and patients write about Britain's best-loved hospital Eric Birbeck

Haslar was Britain's best-loved hospital. That's not an idle boast. Even Queen Victoria said: 'It would be difficult to think of a hospital more loved than the Royal Hospital Haslar.'

Known for its wards with gleaming floors, immaculate bed-linen and dedicated staff, it served the Royal Navy for nearly 250 years, eventually becoming a Tri-Service hospital and then admitting civilians. Little wonder, then, that when it was threatened with closure, 22,000 people took to the streets of Gosport in protest.

Memories of Haslar is packed with stories and anecdotes from patients and staff, plus over 100 photographs, many from the hospital's own archives. The stories told here span seven decades, from World War II to the day Haslar closed its doors for the last time in 2009. Some will make you laugh, and some undoubtedly will bring a tear to your eye. All will make you realise just what a special place Haslar occupies in so many people's hearts.