Jun 09 2007
Visiting time at the BRI, 1968
Mumsie packed older brother (9yrs) and I (5yrs) on a public bus for a 40min bus ride to the Marlborough St. City centre bus terminal.
Exciting. Adventure. Upstairs on a double-decker bus without any adults. Going to the big city. Bother held my hand as we left the bus. We walked up the hill towards the Bristol Royal Infirmary. I knew the way because I came on the Bus with Mumsie every Thursday when she came to the city to shop.
Crossing the road, very scary. Mumzie always held my hand, checked for traffic. I didn’t know how to cross the road. I still find it particularly tricky. I held my brothers hand tightly, walked fast and close to him as we crossed the road. Once in the hospital I had no idea where to go. My brother read the signs and found my other brother (6yrs) in the childrens ward, who promptly started crying.
What a wuss. Here in this interesting big hospital with lots of fabulous toys and other children to play with and all he does is sit in bed crying! I wandered off to play with the other children and big toys. One of the children was bald. Some wacky children in here. Then dad turned up and we left crying brother in the hospital, crying even more now. We rode home in Dads pale blue Ford Corsair car. I was allowed to sit in the front seat because Mumzie wasn’t there.
All in all a fabulous adventure.
write the first thought on Visiting time at the BRI, 1968
