1921: Fleet Street Week for Barts

A photograph of two sheet music pages from the “All for Bart’s Fox Trot Song.” The cover page shows a drawing of a nurse with one hand raised in a triumphant gesture, and holding a small bucket in which to collect donations with the other. Text on the cover page states that “Proceeds of the sale of this Fox-Trot go to the funds of St Bartholomew’s Hospital”.
Music score for a fox trot song made for Barts Hospital. Image courtesy of Barts Health NHS Trust Archives.

St Bartholomew’s Hospital – known as Barts – is a teaching hospital in London which was founded in 1123. It is one of the oldest voluntary hospitals in the country.

Prior to the establishment of the NHS, Barts held an annual fundraising event: ‘Fleet Street Week for Barts’.

Amongst the myriad of activities held, in 1921 an original song – All for Bart’s Fox Trot Song – was produced. Proceeds from the sales of the sheet music went to the Hospital.