Margaret Johnson
As a seven-year old child, I caught diphtheria and just before Christmas 1940 was taken to the isolation hospital at Stoke Mandeville. While there I picked up scarlet fever and was in hospital just over three months. In that time my parents visited by taxi (shared with another local family) each Sunday. They stood outside and spoke through a closed window. There was only one other child in the room with me and we had stew and rice every day. Needless to say it was a long time before I could face that again.
When I got home I had quite a few childish ailments and ended up having my tonsils and adenoids removed at Chesham Hospital. All I remember is fighting like a tiger when they tried to put the mask over my face. No pre-med in those days. Coming round with a dreadful sore throat, and being given ice-cream, which slipped down very easily and was most soothing.
I was lucky, as many others died.
Margaret Johnson (nee Herrington)
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