Memories of Being Ill & Injured ...... (FB - May 2020)

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Graham Forster - Orwell 69-67: I think that first aid was a bit basic. I was fairly good at cross country and the mile. Doc was taking me out to try for the mile and someone called me to the high jump pit. They said the bar was at B standard. I am to high jump what Cyril Smith was to hang-gliding but I had a go wearing spikes and to everyone's surprise got over. Half way round the mile my foot was wet and squelchy. Looking down I had a six-inch gaping gash in my shin; the lower part of my leg was bright red. I hobbled back to the house and saw Matron Miss Clarke. She slapped some iodine and wrapped it up. I still have a large wide scar on my leg. Nowadays it would have been stitched. Anyone else suffered with iodine on open wounds?

David Clark - Orwell 74-81: Miss Clarke: hot and cold bathing was the solution to everything bar open wounds.

Dennis Alexander - Orwell 57-64: Yes! When I was in the second form I fell on the implement used to rake the pitches and tore a chunk out of my knee. Sister Hammond tutted and fussed and placed a lump of solid iodine in the hole, not the best experience I have ever had! Still got the scar 60 years on.

Vin Gower - Hansons 63-70: I was down the hard one day and somebody was in a cadet heading for the slip with both sails full. I ran down and like an idiot pushed the bow around, something went pop in my wristand I went to sick bay. Nurse said it looked like I had displaced something! She grabbed my hand and pulled. If it wasn't broken before she did that it certainly was after; still, the hospital trip got me out of lessons for a day.

Graham Forster: I had a second meeting with Miss Clarke and the iodine one Christmas. The decorations in Orwell comprised lines of string across the ceiling holding sprigs of holly. I was cutting up the holly and sliced my finger; still got a nice scar.

John Dawlings - Orwell 64-71: Was iodine the purple stuff they used to give us for foot-rot? Half the house were always walking around with purple feet :) My mother stayed friends with Annette Clarke until one or the other of them died: I think Annette. I seem to remember my mother telling me that Annette retired to the Chelmondiston /Pin Mill area.

Louis Parperis - Orwell 63-70: I think she used gentian violet.

John Dawlings: That sounds so sophisticated; bet it cost twice as much as foot-rot paint. Just shows that marketing was alive and well 50 years ago :)

Graham Forster: The purple stuff was gentian violet; iodine was yellow.

Roger Friend - Johnstons 58-63: Not blue unction?

Graham Forster: I hope not - blue unction is for lice and stds!

John Tuddenham - Hansons 52-57: I remember the night before school Sports Day. As a junior, I was practising throwing the cricket ball and something happened to my arm ..... I saw Mr Hanson and explained I couldn't straighten it. He said: "Just have one throw, and see how you go." So next day, I gave it all I could, but there was an almighty crack and I fainted. Afterwards, Ginger Ronan, said he heard the crack standing by the dormitories. I woke up in the sick Bay ... and found out I had won ... apparently Fred (Townson) had beaten me, but stepped over the line I was told. Stuffed up my cricket for the year ... I had dislocated it the night before, apparently. But I got off heaps of lessons going into Ipswich for heat treatment a couple of times a week. Ho hum ......

Frederick Townson - Corners 52-58: That settles the matter as to who won, but I did throw it further after all!!!

John Tuddenham: From over the line!!! Ha!!

John Dawlings: There was a small gap somewhere between foot-rot paint and intensive care which WHS didn't really cater for :)

Aaron Agnew-Griffith - Hansons 77-82: In Hanson's (77-82), Matron would pick fresh nettles and make a tea from them for anyone pretending to be ill in bed; not many sick people in our house.