An occasional look at what's available in the shops.

The Wheatfields Story 1854 - 2002 from Family Home to Care Centre Ronald Nelson Redman ISBN 0-9539740 - 9 -X £6.99

Leeds has a proud history in the medical field. Our first infirmary was planned in the 1760s and ever since we have been well served by fine hospitals, hospices and clinics. Today the city has many experts who advise not only locally but across the world. We even have a world-famous hospital in St James's that is home to many staff who perform miracles on a daily basis. Away from the limelight are several jewels that have a special place in the hearts of not only Leeds folk but those from far and wide in the north of England. Wheatfields in Headingley is one such a glittering example.

'Wheatfields' was a Grade II Listed building in 1978 when it became a hospice. Since then it has offered free care to all regardless of religion, culture or social background.' That care is of the special quality needed by those who require palliative care, comfort and their dignity.

It's easy to view a hospice as a place of tragedy and sadness but the staff at Wheatfields have made it a place where those at the end of their lives still enjoy it and those left behind are helped to recover from their loss.

A written history of a hospice doesn't promise much in the way of humour but a new book about Wheatfields does have a few smiles and even the odd laugh. The author has officially retired from the fund-raising team at Wheatfields but as a parting gesture he has produced, 'The Wheatfields Story'

'Wheatfields' is an elegant Italianate villa in the suburb of Headingley. The book traces the story of the house from the 1850s when it was a happy family home to the hospice it is today. Along the way we meet some of the wonderful people who helped make the care home a reality or passed fleetingly through its doors. Watch out for the chauffeur who only did half a job and the doctor who slept in the kitchen in a sleeping bag! Some of the events are still vivid today - who can forget all that water in 1992?

This book is a tribute to all the staff and volunteers who have made 'Wheatfields' what it is today. It also tells of an important part of Leeds' history that deserves a place on your bookshelf. More importantly Wheatfields is a charity and this book is a means of helping the hospice continue it's precious work so even if you don't buy this it please think about the people at Wheatfields who do so much.

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