AN OPERATION is under way to find nurses, doctors and anyone else who remembers the good times at the former hospital social club in Bromsgrove and who wants to meet again.

Chapter Two - The Bromsgrove General Hospital Staff Social Club - was wound up in 1986 after acute services were switched to Redditch.

It had existed for more than a decade and, in its later years, enjoyed a thriving membership. The club was so successful, it made a big enough cash profit to be able to give charity donations - 17 years after it folded.

Now nurse Maureen Bristow, who put the club in a healthy position with the help of husband Graham and the late Paul Byrne, is using some of the left-over funds for a grand reunion. She wants anyone who remembers whooping it up on the dance floor in the 70s and early 80s to get in touch on 01527 837365.

"My wife got involved in 1981 because nobody else wanted to take it on," said Graham, of Byron Way, Catshill, now retired from running his own car repair business.

"It only had one or two members and debts of over £3,000. In five years, she completely turned it around. It had hundreds of members and built up a profit of £6,000."

The money was invested when the club folded and, after consulting former committee members, Maureen has just been able to hand over £5,000 towards the £107,000 needed for a new multi-faith centre at the Alexandra Hospital in Redditch.

A donation is also being made to Bromsgrove General Football Club. Any cash left over from the reunion will go to the Palliative Care Unit at the Princess of Wales Hospital.

Graham said the original club was built in the early 70s after nurses made a donation to buy the bricks.

The unit was later taken over for use by the doctors, and hospital bosses built a replacement wooden building, which was much bigger and stood round about where the circular area is near the old people's unit today. It was demolished when the services were moved.

"We put in table tennis and a pool table. There was a bar and a dance floor," said Graham, who helped with general maintenance at the club. "There were always functions and events, dances and discos. People would turn up for a drink after work and it would attract everyone - nurses, auxiliary staff, doctors, consultants. It was very popular."

After the reunion, all the money will be handed over and the bank account will be closed. Graham is now aiming to book a venue for the reunion and to see how many people turn up to write the final chapter for Chapter Two.