Leckhampton Court, dating back 600 years, is a picturesque, former manor house constructed in honey-coloured local stone and nestling at the foot of the Cotswold escarpment in the village of Leckhampton, on the outskirts of Cheltenham. It was the family home of  the Lords of the Manor - the Giffards, Norwoods and Tryes,  until it was sold in the late nineteenth century. It still lies in a peaceful setting amongst fields and woodland close to the ancient parish church

During the First World War the building housed a Red Cross Hospital (officially known as V.A.D.,Glos.42), Violet Myhr was one of the nursing staff who, in accordance with the custom of the times, kept an autograph album in which some of the patients wrote their thoughts, experiences or expressed their gratitude, some even drew sketches and pictures. The album is a time capsule of that traumatic era when almost a whole generation was lost – nearly one million British and Commonwealth soldiers died in that conflict and many more were injured or mentally scarred.

Her autograph album was discovered in the 1970’s in the derelict basement of a Regency house in Cheltenham, a former nursing home. The contributions have been copied and are reproduced here to remind us of those times. The writers were all patients at Leckhampton Court, a list of the contributors are as follows-

Pic #        Rank/Name/Regt.

1. Cpl Aron 18^th Manchester Regt
2. Cpl Aron 18^th Manchester Regt (second page)
3. Spr. W.F. Banbury Royal Engineers.
4. Pte F.N. Basnett 9th Devon Regt
5. Pte T Baxter Argyle & Sutherland Highlanders
6. Spr. J Boulton Royal Engineers
7. Rfn. L.Y. Bushell 2nd K.R.R
8. Trooper A Chadd Queens Own Worcester Hussars
9. Spr. A Chalmers Royal Engineers
10. Pte. E.A. Clark 6th Batt. 13th Essex Regt
11. Pte James Cope 10th Canadians
12. I. Cripie, Esq.
13. Pte H.H. Crook 3rd att 2nd  Wilts Regt
14. Dvr. J.W. Drew A.S.C.
15. Pte. J. Finlay 2nd Lancs Regt
16. Sgt Carrick A.S.C. (M.T.)
17. Pte A.D. Karn 10th Canadians
18. L/Cpl F.J. Harper 2/7th Gordon Highlanders
19. L/Cpl J Hewer 8th Middlesex Regt
20. L. Hill, Esq.
21. Pte T Jarah 6th Northumberland Fusiliers
22. Pte James Keefe 2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers
23. Gnr. G.H. Leaman 2nd Brgde Canadian F.A.
24. Pte E Love 3rd East Lancs. Regt
25. L/Cpl N Carey 17th Kings L'Pool Regt
26. Pte J McGrenon 1st Black Watch
27. Pte S A Miller 4th Seaforth Highlanders
28. Rfm A Morris Kings Royal Rifles
29. Pte J Murray 3 att 2 Battn Argyle & Suthlnd High.
30. Pte Wm. Platt A Coy 3rd Canadians + Rfn H.J. Norton Queen. Vic. Rifles
31. Pte H Preston 1st Yorks & Lancs Regt
32. Pte J F Reilly 1/4th Cheshire Regt
33. Pte H Kennell A.S.C. (M.T.)
34. Pte Jack Swann 1st Northants
35. Pte Wm. Litley 2nd Batt K.O.Y.L.I.
36. L/Cpl. R Heron 2nd Argyle & Suthlnd High.
37. Dvr. G Waller 3rd Div R.F.A.
38. L/Cpl E L V Warwick 3rd R. London Fusiliers
39. Pte L.G. Washer A.S.C. (M.T.)
40. Pte J Withers A.S.C.
41. L/Cpl W R Woods 15th R. Irish Fusiliers.