My third unwanted adventure to the Stirling Royal Hospital happened around Christmas time, it may have been boxing day, I can remember that it was a very dark morning myself and my brother Jim had gotten up early to play with our toys in the living room. Its funny how some memories can be so clear and some so hazy.
I had a painting set, you know the type a metal tin with small coloured blocks of red, blue, green, paint ect inside, and a small paint brush, you used a little bit of water to mix the paint up before trying to fill inside the lines of some cartoon in a colouring book.
Of course this was in 1964-5 well before the rise in health and safety and the tin was just that “tin” pressed metal with no rolled edges.
I can clearly remember I was sitting on the floor filling in some animal with green paint when i decided to do something else not sure what that was now though, but placing my left hand on the floor and the other on the paint tin and pushed myself up, I can’t really remember any pain although i am sure there must have been for as i pushed up i felt the tin cut into the soft palm of my right hand just below my wrist, Looking down I noticed a two inch opening into which i could fascinatingly see the inside of my hand, Howeverthis was followed almost straight away with a large amount of blood almost spurting from the hole that had been made .
Now knowing it was very early in the morning and the fact we were not meant to be up and with Mum and Dad asleep i was a little bit nervious about waking up my parents with this latest adventure, however i soon found my way to the bedroom anyway.
I can remember from the point of view of a four year old looking up at my parents in the bed where a discussion started something along the lines off reapeating “Mum i’ve cut myself” several times till some one stirred think it was mum who first sat up telling me to go back to bed, i raised my hand towards her and again repeated I’ve cut my hand and watched as her expression of annoyance changed to one of sleepy panic.
John John get up quick she shouted to my dad as she clambered out of the bed grabbing my arm and holding it up as high as it would go..
Within a few seconds i can remember once again beings lifted and in my dads arms once more . Once again the magical medical tea towel was called for and wrapped carefully around my hand before being whisked of to the royal once again,
Three times in four years i was becoming an old pro at this.
Its funny because although i can’t remember much about being in the hospital any of those times when i was young the next time as an adult I would have to spend a night in that hospital i had a weird feeling of knowing the ward i was in and its layout.
The scar on my hand for ever reminds me of a dark day in Tullibody.