Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Norma Pearce - early 1950's

Norma rang up this morning. Her family had cut the story out of the South Wales Evening Post . She had put it off, not wanting to make that phone call.
I am glad she did. We were in at the same time and we both remembered being among a whole gang of girls from Ward 2 who hid in the rhododendron bushes to avoid going back to Miss White's singing lesson. After that we were not allowed out into the grounds on Thursday afternoons incase we didn't come back.

Norma also remembers this song which she says everyone sang in the evenings as the nurses tucked us up for the night:

"I have the TB flushes
I have them very bad
They wrapped me up in blankets
And put me in the van

The van was very rocky
It nearly knocked me out
And when the door was opened
I gave a mighty shout:

"Mama, Dada fetch me home
From this isolation home
I have been here a year or two
And now I want to be with you."

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