The Sparkhill Surgery

About this location

A few stories people tell about this place

1. At dawn one foggy morning, a delivery driver pulled up to The Sparkhill Surgery with an urgent package. As he approached the door, he noticed something strange: the sign above it read not just ‘doctor,’ but also ‘astronomer.’ Curious, he knocked on the door, and an old gentleman in a white coat answered. 'Ah,' said the doctor-astronomer, 'just what I needed—a star map for my next lecture!' Turning to the delivery man, he added, 'And you are?' With a smile, the driver replied, 'Just a regular guy delivering packages.'

2. In the late afternoon, a young boy walked home from school, passing The Sparkhill Surgery. Suddenly, he noticed that the doctor’s receptionist had begun greeting every patient with an unusual phrase: ‘May your heart skip a beat today!’ Curious, the boy asked his mother if it meant anything special. She laughed and explained it was just Dr. Jenkins’ way of saying hello. That evening, while watching TV, they heard a knock on their door. It was a delivery driver who’d overheard the greeting and thought it was a secret code for urgent medical assistance.

3. At sunset, an old lady pushed her shopping cart into The Sparkhill Surgery’s parking lot. Inside, she found herself surrounded by rows of empty doctor’s coats hanging on hooks. She reached up and picked one coat off its hook, slipping it over her shoulders. ‘Hello,’ she called out, ‘anyone here for a quick check-up?’ A delivery driver passing by heard her voice and asked, ‘Ma’am, are you lost?’ She smiled and replied, ‘No, just waiting for my appointment with Dr. Smith.’ He shook his head and laughed, ‘There’s no Dr. Smith here, ma’am. This is just a storage room.’ She shrugged and said, ‘Well, I guess he’ll be late then!’

4. At midnight, a nurse leaving The Sparkhill Surgery noticed an odd humming sound coming from the empty waiting room. Curious, she peeked inside and saw nothing but rows of silent chairs—until she realized they were gently swaying back and forth. Suddenly, one old lady’s hat fell off a chair and rolled towards her feet. Startled, the nurse picked it up—and found herself staring into the smiling face of Mrs. Jenkins, who had been sitting there moments ago, completely invisible before. ‘Oh dear,’ said Mrs. Jenkins, adjusting her spectacles, ‘I must’ve dozed off again.’