Life in a Sanatorium, Norfolk

This story was submitted to the BBC People’s War site by Wymondham Learning Centre on behalf of the author who fully understand the site's terms and conditions.

In 1941 at the age of 3 I was suspected of having tuberculosis of the lung. I was admitted to Kelling Sanatorium in North Norfolk.

I was an only child, my father was in the forces and I was living in Dereham — a town in mid-Norfolk.

In the hospital we were given lots of nourishing food. I remember mutton stew, rice pudding and of all things beetroot! The nurses were very strict and made us eat everything on our plate.

I was pushed out in my bed on to a veranda. Pine trees surrounded the hospital, which is supposed to be beneficial for T.B.

Visiting was on one weekend a month. My mother had a long journey — Dereham to Norwich — Norwich to Holt — and then she had to walk around 3 miles to the sanatorium.

After several months, it was confirmed that I did not have T.B. but infected tonsils. These were removed at Cromer Hospital and after 9 months away from home, I was discharged.

After all these years I still keep in contact with a sister of one of the boys I met whilst in hospital.

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