It's Just The Little Things............

English: Tidworth - Derelict Bowling Alley This was the former Tidworth Bowl, once one of the highlights of Tidworth's nightlife. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The question I am most asked is, What was so special about Tidworth? Quite simply put-it was the little things that made it so special.

The biggest of the little things was the amount of trust shown in me-a young and former village boy whose only hope for the future had been that I was on the short-list as a future Village Idiot in the Buckinghamshire village in which I was raised. 

I believe Trust is something that people show in others, once a person has demonstrated a level of capability that can be demonstrated instinctively. Clearly, someone in Tidworth trusted me to do the jobs I had trained for. It was something I had never experienced before. Being allowed to practice one's trade without overt supervision is something rather special. (Just wish my wife had the same trust in me today-apparently I am incapable of hoovering the living room properly. And as for cleaning up in the kitchen-don't even go there!) After sufficient training I was allowed to practice nursing and Operating Theatre Technician duties both during the day, and at night in the Casualty Department, as part of a team and as an individual.

I have a humbling memory of an incident in which I attended a road accident late at night, involving three cars and numerous casualties. One of the casualties I attended to was a young lady who had clearly suffered a fractured jaw and who needed immediate treatment and oxygen therapy. Be as gentle as you might, treating anyone with a fracture at the roadside inevitably involves causing that person further pain and discomfort. In those days we did not carry much more than first aid equipment and oxygen in the ambulance. I did what I had been trained to do, but was not enjoying the reaction of the patient. Having achieved this and having also determined that she was the more serious of the casualties, we set off back to the hospital leaving the second ambulance team to carry on. While on the journey back, this young lady looked at me and smiled as best she could while reaching her hand out to me, which I took hold of. She trusted me. I have never got over that one incident and the expression of faith in me. A very humbling moment.

Another "little thing" that stays with me is the ability to tie a knot with one hand, surgeon style. I learnt this "skill" after a short while when training as a Theatre Technician. At first I was spell bound by this seemingly magical articulacy that surgeons, and doctors in casualty demonstrated when suturing wounds.  Silly I know, but I'm chuffed that I can still do it!

Freedom was something I enjoyed about Tidworth. Sounds silly perhaps, but where I was brought up it was difficult to travel anywhere. By the time I left Twyford to join the Army, there were just three buses a week to get about in. Tuesday it was Buckingham, Friday it was Bicester and Saturday was to Aylesbury. Miss one of these and it was awhole week 'til the next one. In Tidworth however, there was the Number 8 bus at least once an hour I believe. From one side of the road the bus would take you to Andover. From the other, it would take you to Salisbury. Never had such freedom been known to me. I loved it. Again, something so simple.

I loved the village as well. Yes, I know, another very simple thing. To me though it had more to offer than my home village. There we had one general store, a village hall, a butcher and two pubs. Tidowrth had so much more on offer. two cafes, a bowling alley, a YMCA, several Naffi Shops, a multitude of NAAFI bars, a Chemist, two general stores, a fruit and veg shop a ladies and gents hairdresses and a cinema. Who needed London when you've got all that? Different picture now I believe.

Last but not least for now, it was quite simply a great hospital in which to work. The people working there, both civilian and military, got on together so well. Each helped the other without having to be asked. Teamwork and camaraderie were the order of the day.

Would I have rather started my career in some whiz bang city hospital? Absolutely not!