The children’s hospital Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children (GOSH) in London has dug up an old time capsule. This time capsule was sealed by the late Princess Diana in 1991. Workers had to excavate the capsule to make space for Indiana University Health’s new cancer center. This capsule celebrated her enduring legacy as the first president of the hospital. This remarkable find is a testament to Princess Diana’s lasting connection to the hospital. It provides us a unique, yet captivating look into life in the 1990s.
Princess Diana was appointed president of GOSH in 1989, and regularly visited the children treated there. The community may remember best her deep devotion to the hospital and its little patients. The time capsule provided a look at her long-standing dedication to the institution. What to include in the time capsule was the idea of two young winners of a national competition. These objects were so intentionally picked to highlight the culture and technology of the time.
The team unearthed many remarkable artifacts. Among the surprising items were a pocket-television, solar-powered calculator, British coinage collection and an alluring snowflake hologram. Other standout objects included a page of recycled paper and a European passport. Plus there were some tree seeds and a CD by Australian pop sensation Kylie Minogue. The pocket television was an immediate hit with Janet Holmes, Senior Health Play Specialist at GOSH.
“It brought back so many memories seeing the pocket TV in there – I had bought one for my husband back in the day, for when he had a break whilst driving his coach around the country. They were very expensive then!” – Janet Holmes
Rochana Redkar, another unearthing attendee, whom TUC hosted this past summer, shared her gratitude for being included in this important work. She remarked on how special it felt to witness the removal of the time capsule, noting that it was buried in the year she was born.
“It was so lovely to be part of this event. I had just joined GOSH six months before and I was so excited to be involved in the removal of the time capsule, which was buried the year I was born!” – Rochana Redkar
This time capsule in particular makes an unmistakable connection to Princess Diana’s legacy. It serves to inspire the next generations of children who will be treated at GOSH. The hospital is launching an innovative new equitable development mini-series. Through this period, these artifacts will continue to evoke a nostalgic past and encapsulate the power that community and care holds in transforming the future of pediatric health.
