Time capsule sealed by Princess Diana reveals Kylie Minogue CD alongside other 90s relics
A time capsule sealed by Princess Diana at a children's hospital has been unearthed revealed revealing music and a pocket TV - among other 90s relics.
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The time capsule, unearthed at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), was sealed more than 30 years ago.
In 1991, two children, who won a 'Blue Peter' competition, chose the Nineties items with the then Princess of Wales.
Sylvia Foulkes, who was nine, from Norwich, chose a hologram of a snowflake, some British coins, a solar-powered calculator, and five seed trees from Kew Gardens.
David Watson, who was 11, from Paignton, Devon, included a CD, a European passport, a pocket television and a sheet of recycled paper.
The time capsule included a photo of Diana and a copy of The Times newspaper.
The headline, at the time, read: "Ministers to debate role of proposed EC [European Community] central bank."
The hospital removed the time capsule from the main entrance due to building works in the hospitals redevelopment of the new Children’s Cancer Centre.
Jason Dawson, executive director of Space and Place and the senior responsible officer for the children’s cancer centre, opened the capsule earlier this year.
He was joined by GOSH staff who were either working there, or born in 1991.
“It was really quite moving,” Mr Dawson told The Times.
“Almost like connecting with memories of things that have been planted by a generation gone by.
"There were some really odd things in there that you would have thought at the time were [at the] cutting edge of technology, such as the pocket calculator and pocket TV.
"When you look at them now, they almost look like toys. We had no technology to even try to play the CD on."
The decision to open the capsule early was to take "the hopes and inspirations of 1991" to inspire a new time capsule to go underneath the new development, Mr Dawson said.
The new fascicles with increase patient capacity by 20 per cent, including a new hospital school and a roof garden.
“Many of our children are with us for months, if not years,” Mr Dawson said.
“They need that wraparound care, wraparound support, future education, so they can have normal lives. Many of our children like to call Gosh a home away from home.”
Princess Diana became the president of the London children’s hospital in 1989.
She visited the hospital multiple times, including with King Charles on a Christmas ward visit in 1987.
“I have no doubt that if Diana was still with us, she would still be connected with us in some way,” Mr Dawson said.
“She really was a signifier of something special.”