Twickenham’s Bonnie Langford, the singer and dancer, was at the forefront of a demonstration at Twickenham junction to save St John’s cottage hospital in Amyand Park Road, threatened with closure. Hundreds of people signed a petition. From left to right, Toby Jessel MP for Twickenham, Miss Langford and Dr Alex Hall of St John’s Hospital. A meeting of St John’s health centre users group to be held at the health centre in Oak Lane was to discuss the implications of its closure. Mrs Pamela Rathbone chairman of the League of Friends braved the cold as a patient on a stretcher bed and comedian Roy Hudd did a stint later. Councillor John Waller thought there should be an alternative way of raising funds apart from closing the hospital and pointed out that the decision to close was against what the health minister Kenneth Clark had said about the need for beds. There was also a need for geriatric beds. Closure of the hospital affected the council’s finances as some people should be in hospital who were in council old people’s homes. It also increased the demand for home helps, he said.