The Hale congregation didn't enjoy their enlarged premises for long.

Extract from the Hale Congregational Church Deacon's Minutes.
9th October 1914

"It was reported that at an informal meeting of a number of Deacons held on 9th August permission was given to the Red Cross Society to use our school chapel and men's club room for Nursing Lectures; also to use the School Chapel as a war hospital should occasion arise."

War had been declared on 3rd August 1914, and immediately the Red Cross and St Johns Ambulance societies combined their activities under the aegis of the Red Cross.

The subsequent hospital is listed in the Red Cross records as:
"Congregational Schools Red Cross Hospital, Cecil Road, Hale."
but was more generally known as the "Hale Red Cross Hospital".

The plaque in the rear porch states it was opened in November 1914.
In fact, the church magazine in November 1914 reported the presence already of forty patients at that time.

Since there is no separate listing for the use of the nearby Anglican owned St Peter's Rooms as a hospital (it opened in mid December, one month after our church's hospital opened), we assume that the two hospitals were administered as one. This is clear from the accompanying photographs which cover both sites. The 1914 photos must have been after mid-December since they include St Peters. The 1915 photos seem to be some sort of official opening, probably in the Spring in view of the outside accomodation.

The Red Cross records also show that in the Altrincham area there were thirteen other hospitals.

The hospitals were staffed by volunteers, mainly devoted to convalescance. If anyone thought that the conditions in the trenches were not understood by the general population then they would be wrong. The number of nurses shown in our photographs are just for one hospital, local ladies, who would hear at first hand what their patients had gone through.

"A letter was received from Mrs O'Neill conveying the thanks of the Red Cross Society for the loan of our premises for the Hospital.

A letter was read from Mr J L Tattersall promising to pay the extra cost to the church in Lighting and Heating caused by the premises being occupied by the Red Cross Society. A letter of thanks accepting the offer to be sent to Mr Tattersall."

The church had also approached their insurers with regard to the extra premium that would be required for the use as a hospital. The insurers had, howver, declined to increase the premium.
There was also a problem concerning making tea - for the kitchen now lay within the hospital area; -

"The following matter arising out the use of a portion of our premises used by the Red Cross Hospital were dealt with: With regard to the use of the kitchen Mr Yates reported that (Mrs) O'Neill suggested that teas should be prepared for us when required by the hospital staff and that only (indecipherable ) should have access to the kitchen. Mr Yates undertook to consult the Ladies' Committee."

In fact the Ladies Committee were not satisfied that the Hospital was sticking to the agreement and within two months they insisted that a deputation of three (possibly angry) ladies approach the hospital. We don't know the direct outcome, but in March 1915 the Ladies Committee were advocating an architect's recommended improvements to the kitchen.

The hospital eventually occupied the whole of the school extension and chapel areas. The congregation had to be accommodated, including the Sunday School children, about 130 of them, in the main church and the vestries.

Our Church Premises.

"The Red Cross Hospital on our premises has been extended by the conversion of our old Lecture Room (till recently used as a recreation room for the patients) into a second ward. This will provide for the accommodation of twelve more patients, making a total of forty in our block of buildings. For a recreation room the Junior Schoolroom has been taken over. A limited use of the downstairs rooms is arranged for Sunday afternoons for the Sunday School and Men's- Bible Class. But, except for this and the use of the actual Church itself, we have to be content, for the time being, with the upstairs premises and the Church vestries, for all our own meetings and services. We should like again to urge a loyal co-operation, on the part of all, with the authorities of the Church in the time of strain and inconvenience that is involved. If our dominant note be one of thankfulness that we are able to offer our premises for so bene?cent a purpose, we shall accept cheerfully the inevitable limitations of the situation. _Special attention is called to the fact that the allocation of rooms is in the hands of our Church Secretary, Mr. Fasham, and those desiring to arrange meetings of any kind should give him as long notice as possible, so that, with the limited accommodation at our command, there may be no overlapping."

In Chester Cathedral is a banner commemorating the work of the St John Ambulance and Red Cross during WW1 in Cheshire. Hale is mentioned as "Cecil Road".