Wigan Album

Sadly, Ron, I'm afraid that this is actually a pic from the other Standish, in Gloucestershire.... You'll find this image on the website for it.
Sadly, there appears to be only one image of The Beeches when it was "Woodlands 3" VAD Hospital - and that's of the front, with the flags flying, used in M D Smith's 'About Standish' - although he hadn't realised the significance of the flags in the image.

A remarkable image nonetheless . I wonder how many of these blokes would have returned to France after being ' repaired like broken machines '
as Pat Barker put it .

REV. Thanks for the info. I wondered why the postmark says STONEHOUSE.

Ron, I admire your commitment to seeking out historic images of Wigan and district. There will be many more out there to be brought to the surface eventually - among them photographs taken at the three Woodlands VAD Hospitals. Unfortunately, as most of the photographs will have been taken by patients who came from all over the country, it won't be easy tracking them down. Although you would think that members of staff from this area might have copies, given by grateful patients as they left the hospitals. But you did find one - of a group outside Woodlands II - Mariebonne - which you posted in February last. In the background, at the front of the house, the Colours (Red Cross flag above the Union flag) are blowing in the wind. The same Colours can be seen on the flagpole at the front of image of The Beeches which appears in MD Smith's 'About Standish'. That would be a good image for you to look out for... as well as one for The Woodlands itself - though, beware, there was also a Woodlands VAD in Leigh and at Southport....

Rev. I'm very good friends with David Smith, who wrote the STANDISH book, as well as others about places around Wigan. I'll ask him if has any images of the hospitals in Standish..

I was in toch with David some years ago, when I was researching the Woodlands Hospitals - after finding his image of The Beeches in his Standish book, and realising the significance of the flags flying outside it. At the time I was thinking of producing an account of the work of the hospitals (it got lost as I turned to looking at Hospital Barges in France in WW1). He was a bit wary - tired of folk making use of his research and images without permission or acknowledgement.
You might ask him a broader question about images of all the Woodlands Hospitals....

Hi Rev, over the years I've given David numerous images to use in his books So If you wanted to use any images that he has put in his books let me know and I'll sort it..

On viewing this remarkable photo it does nothing to take away my private thoughts which are "What a terrible disasterous waste of our young boys ,lads,men " Were thown away by their so-called betters !!!!!!

If you Google Standish Hospital there are many sites with images of the Hospital which is near Stroud, Gloucestershire and not far away the village of Stonehouse.
Ron, David Smiths book about Standish is excellent, thank him from myself, it gives me many hours of pleasure, reading through it and absorbing the pictures.
The one of Standish Market Place is of particular interest as I have a family connection to the shop in the background. Perhaps this could be uploaded for comment?