It is 100 years this year since Shropshire’s specialist orthopaedic hospital relocated to its famous Gobowen base, just down the road from our school site. We were thrilled to join in the celebrations on Saturday 7 August at The Festival on the Field, organised by the League of Friends alongside a committee of staff members. 

The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, then known as the Shropshire Orthopaedic Hospital, was officially opened on 5 August 1921 by its founders Sir Robert Jones and Dame Agnes Hunt. It came after they secured funding to move from their original site in Baschurch, which had been known as the Shropshire Surgical Home and Auxiliary Military Orthopaedic Hospital.

As well as the 100-year birthday, the hospital’s League of Friends and the Orthopaedic Institute at RJAH are also celebrating their 60 year and 50 year anniversaries, respectively.

Festival on the Field was a family-friendly day to night event involving live music, craft stalls, food and drink and children's entertainment. The evening saw a swinging sixties themed disco for the adults to enjoy. 

Even the weather didn't dampen our spirits and we were thrilled to welcome hoards of children and their parents into our tent to meet Peter Pan the Shetland pony, our raft of ducklings and Amber the therapy dog. The children (and a lot of their parents) also enjoyed decorating Shropshire rocks in our craft area.. So much so that we ran out of rocks! 

We had a fantastic day and we're so pleased to be able to join in with the celebrations.