Former Guinea Pig Club

The Guinea Pig Pub was located at this site during World War II. The Guinea Pig Club was founded here on 20 July 1941 by a group of airmen, all recovering from surgery.

Membership was open to:
The Guinea Pigs - any member of the Allied aircrew who had undergone at least two operations at Queen Victoria Hospital for burns or other accidental injuries.
The Scientists - doctors, surgeons and members of the Queen Victoria hospital's medical staff.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Guinea Pigs - friends and well-wishers who made the life of a Guinea Pig happy.

All members had to pay an annual subscription of 2/6d. Women could not become members, but could attend some special ‘ladies’ evenings.

At the time, Queen Victoria Hospital specialised in plastic surgery, facial reconstruction and the treatment of burns and was ahead of its time in this field. Treatment was also aimed at allowing patients to live as normal a life as possible and East Grinstad thus became ‘the city that did not stare’.

Initially, the club was intended to exist until the end of the war but the club finally celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2016. There were still 17 members at the time.

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