WARD FIVE MALE SURGICAL AND FOUR WHEELS

By this time I had left the Orthopaedic ward and was given a post of Staff Nurse on the Male surgical ward (Men again) this ward had 26 beds and besides patients requiring operations we admitted all surgical trauma cases that would nowadays go to intensive care. I would make two bed spaces into one and make room for all the resuscitation equipment that was required. Working hours were often long as patients lives depended on dedicated staff and more times than I can remember there was no relief at the time we were due off duty. As Staff Nurse I was often needed to escort seriously injured patients to London and Stoke Mandeville

Hospitals sometimes by helicopter. If it was by ambulance then I was assured of a lift back to Hastings but if it was by air I would have to find my own way home by train or bus which was probably way past midnight with no buses to take me home.

These occasions made it essential for me to have a car so when one of my patients by the name of Jack offered to give me some driving practice in his car I readily accepted and then he advised me on buying a small car of my own. I chose an aged pea green two door Austin which after buying it for £169 found it leaked badly however as long as I had a qualified driver with me I had my own wheels to practice in.

I passed after my second driving test and then had no more travel problems except when I decided to clean the carburettor myself and then couldn’t put it back together again. I must say throughout my life I have always been able to access gentlemen to help me out and on this occasion a local garage owner called Stan came to my rescue and was always there when I needed him. When he became very ill in hospital with cancer I used to drive his partner to see him, so in a way I hope he knew I reciprocated his kindness.