Peter Fordham Johnson

Peter Johnson was a charismatic person with a wide variety of interests and talents. He won the Gaskell Medal in 1958.?

Peter Fordham Johnson Formerly Consultant Psychiatrist, St Bartholomew's Hospital, London

Following the completion of his studies at Rugby School, Peter went to St Bartholomew's Hospital to study medicine. He qualified MRCS, LRCP in 1942 and was elected FRCPsych in 1978, but his main interest became adolescent psychiatry. While at St Bartholomew's, he undertook important liaison work with the Department of Oncology and Obstetrics. He went on to become advisor to the specialist committees of the Regional Hospital Board. He also became joint director with Dr Ben Munro in running the adolescent unit at Long Grove Hospital, one of the first in-patient adolescent units to accommodate both genders. There he contributed to the training of nurses, psychiatrists, occupational, art, music and drama therapists.

Peter came from a musical family. He trained in singing and particularly enjoyed classical music. He was also keen on horseriding, swimming and running. Despite contracting poliomyelitis in 1951, leaving him with paresis of one leg, it is interesting to note that he continued to be very active and even enjoyed dancing with one leg, very much like Zorba the Greek!

Peter had an extensive knowledge of literature, which was one of his great interests. Later in his life, he devoted a great deal of time to writing poetry. A number of his poems were published as monographs and he was a contributor to an innovative publication entitled Poetry London. He was invited to review a notable publication written by former patients of Bethlem entitled Beyond Bedlam. He was also interested in languages and became an expert in French, German, Italian and even started learning Serbo-Croat. His language skills were very useful in his post-war voluntary work in Europe, with both children and adults, who had been subjected to the strains and deprivation of post-war Europe.

Peter leaves a widow, Sonia, a daughter, Joanna, and a son, Nicholas.