18 October 2016: visit to University of Essex

Dear Fred

I believe the main concentration of the outbreak in 1947 was in northern Britain - certainly I contracted it while visiting grandparents in Scotland. Then we travelled right down to near Brighton and first my parents noticed I was much less cheerful than usual. 

Then I started falling over and my father, a doctor, got more worried. He  decided I either had meningitis or "infantile paralysis" which is what they called polio in children in those days.  I ended up in the isolation hospital in a big ward with adults and children.    

I was strapped down in my bed as they were afraid I might damage my semi-paralysed limbs. My doll and my teddy  were put on the window sill where I couldn't reach them and that made me even more unhappy and frightened - I was only two! 

I remember a big boy called Norman who one day took the doll and the teddy down for me - an act of kindness I have never forgotten.  I didn't see my parents for three weeks (I had a baby sister so they probably couldn't visit anyway because of the danger to her).

When I went home I remember a big family tea with lots of people smiling at me and being allowed to eat anything I wanted - usually my mother was very strict so this was very strange - they had left me alone all that time and then let me come home and have a feast - very difficult for a little girl to understand...

Sorry to go on a bit - this is the first time I have ever written about my experience.

Sx