Time in Hospital

David Webb: Letters Home


David Webb was born in 1951 in Winchester. He spent his entire school life attending various boarding schools apart from three years which he spent in hospital from the age of seven and then continued his education at Worcester College for the Blind.

Here David describes life on the children’s ward.

  • David Webb
  • David Webb
https://howwasschool.allfie.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/letters-home.mp3

Transcript

I personally don't remember having much contact with my mother during the term time. But because of my years in hospital and things like that, I was used to separation so it didn't, I don't think it bothered me that much. In fact when I was in hospital all the year in 1967, my, my mother must have rung the ward at one point saying I hadn't contacted her and I was kind of like, I was bribed to write to her once a week. I think I would have had to dictate them 'cause as I say my mother didn't read braille and I couldn't write, I'd have to dictate them but, I think probably just 'Dear Mum, hope you are well, I am well, goodbye' sort of thing, I'm sure they weren't much, much more informative than that. 'Had physio today.'

There'd be physio, and a lot of mucking around because it was a kids ward and I think there was school for some of them, but obviously I was a bit excluded from that because I couldn't see to do the school work. Just a lot of, I think a lot of listening to the radio, yes. I just didn't get out of bed, I suppose I must have been bored but I think I still had enough sight to read comics, I remember reading comics, listening to the radio. Family visits weren't as, families weren't allowed to visit any time in those days, or even stay on the ward like they are today but, I remember visits from the family.

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