A Coventry Kid's Tale

Chapter 2: Primary School Days (1953)

The next day the child went into the backyard to find a trolley with a piece of string attached to the front axle for steering it with. With a loud cry of glee he started to take the trolley for a spin, his reward for chopping wood he thought. "Son" said the father" that is for delivering the wood, not for playing with. Now load the wood son, and deliver to this address". Off the child went, pulling it up steep hills and for miles around the streets, finally arriving at Swan Lane. Knocking on the door this black haired old lady answered it. The child with nerves of steel said "Hello gran, here's your kindling for the week".
The child not knowing what was in store for him, was told "Son we are sending you away for a while, we need a rest from you". Undaunted by this information the child was led away by his mother. On the buzz they hopped and journeyed far, when finally they arrived.

The name above the door brought horror to the child. "KERESLEY HOSPITAL" it said. Banged up again.
Left by his mother to his fate he was led to a bath filled with boiling water, "Jump in" the nurse said, with a funny look in her eyes. The child jumped in and immediately started to cry with the pain of hot water. "That's not a manly thing to do" the nurse said. "Sit and wash yourself". The child sat and washed himself. "When you have dried yourself, follow me" the nurse said. The child followed, and was led to his bed. Into bed he got, bars placed all around him so he could not escape. (Oh the shame) he had not been in a cot since he was two (months).

Things went from bad to worse, his parents brought him gifts thinking the child would forgive them (which he did when he found the chocolate). They waved goodbye, and the child was told by the nurses "The chocolate is confiscated, you get one knob, the rest for us". The child ate his one knob of chocolate quickly in case they came back for it (this made him eat food very quickly for the rest of his life). He had learned a lesson in life. The next day the nurse came and said "Let me take that thing out of your nose". The poor thick child had not known of the operation that had been performed on him. The nurse then grabbed the end of the wadding and started to pull. With a cry of mercy from the child the nurse said "Be a man, there is no pain" (not to her there wasn't) for the wadding was stuck to the congealed blood. Out it came by the yard, until the end appeared. Thank goodness for that, the child thought. The nurse then said "Now for the other side"!!!!!!!!! The child had had his Adenoids removed to allow him to breath easier.