FORGOTTEN CORNERS

[PanBiker]

Doc Roberston noticed that Sally hadn't had German measles when she was first pregnant with our Carla. He ordered her serum vaccine which she had over three sessions at the surgery. He had experience of the damage done to unborn children when the illness was more rife.

[Stanley]

"He had experience of the damage done to unborn children when the illness was more rife."
Exactly Ian. That's one of the many reasons why so many dismiss immunisations as irrelevant or dangerous, they have never seen the consequences of things like a 'common disease'. Think measles....
Scarlet fever (LINK) was very common at one time but with the advent of better treatments it became a forgotten corner. However... "There have been several reported outbreaks of the disease in various countries in the past decade. The reason for these recent increases remains unclear in the medical community. Between 2013 and 2016 population rates of scarlet fever in England increased from 8.2 to 33.2 per 100,000 and hospital admissions for scarlet fever increased by 97%."
As a comparison, "In Italy, the rate of infection [by Covid 19] stands at 20.62 cases per 100,000 people." Note, that's less than the present rate for Scarlet Fever. I'm not saying that they are directly comparable but it is as well to keep a sense of proportion about the chances of infection.
In my youth when infections were much higher and more serious we didn't go round worrying about them, it was a fact of life and we just accepted it and got on with life and the Luftwaffe! Perhaps this is the real forgotten corner.

[Stanley]

It's probably a very personal thing and down to my life experience but my biggest problem at the moment is trying to assess whether the present global responses are proportionate or over reaction. I suspect that younger people will say that they are but older ones like me will have doubts. Apart from immediate reactions during the Phoney War (LINK) I can't remember a reaction like the present one.
Perhaps Stoicism and acceptance of reality are a forgotten corner.
Having said that, just like during the war I am taking what precautions I can. Keeping calm does not necessarily mean burying your head in the sand. If handled properly stress can bring out the best in the majority of people and trigger long term changes. Look at the 1945 election result and give that a bit of thought.

[Big Kev]

It's probably a very personal thing and down to my life experience but my biggest problem at the moment is trying to assess whether the present global responses are proportionate or over reaction.

They're dealing with a lot of unknowns, if over reaction is proven to be the case I see that as being much better than the alternative (proportionate proving to be not enough).

I'm not a fan of the buffoon but, I did have a small amount of sympathy watching him on the daily update, he looked frazzled. Fortunately the q&a sessions look to be well rehearsed so he may inspire a small amount of confidence in the masses.

[Stanley]

Very fair Kev and I will not argue, you are right that working on worst case is almost always the best way to go. My problem is squaring that up against the real world. Is the constant concentration on the negatives a contributory factor to the very real danger of a damaging global recession? In the darkest days of the war when invasion looked certain I remember even us kids going round singing songs like "Hitler has only got one ball....." (LINK) and we were encouraged to do it. Ridicule and comedy was the order of the day, look at the war time cartoons and think of Tommy Handley and ITMA.
We seem to have lost that aptitude for black humour which always cheered us up.
As I said, It's probably a very personal thing and down to my life experience. It certainly wouldn't be appreciated now. Times change and things get forgotten.

[Big Kev]

My humour is very black (5 years working in the NHS will do that). A lot of what makes me laugh is not for public consumption.

[Stanley]

Exactly Kev. Cathy has made the same observation on medical matters. Black humour is just as effective!

[Stanley]

I have made a slight change to my morning bleach treatment of my pot and the sink, adding a couple of drops of Fairy Professional to the hot water and bleach. Only a small adjustment but very effective.

[Stanley]

It's impossible for my generation to avoid comparing reactions then with what happened 80 years ago. The first reaction was to evacuate children to the country side and those able to do so even fled Britain for the States. Compare this with the present problems of second home owners fleeing to the country and remote places warning against going there to sit it out.
Rationing brought hoarding and the growth of the black market. I see this in the panic in the supermarkets and the ridiculous prices of things being quoted by some sellers on the web. (Example: Coronavirus Model, Shows Enlarged Structure of Coronavirus for identification. A snip at £48 +P&P. Advertised on Amazon today.)
Even under rationing the wealthy had privileges like restaurants which didn't need ration book coupons. The counter to this was the British Restaurants. (LINK) It wouldn't surprise me to see this concept revived, perhaps even the unthinkable, the Tory government directly supporting food banks. Many poor children are falling outside the net of free school meals.
Dedicated clinics to support mothers and children were set up and free orange juice and cod liver oil handed out plus general advice on nutrition. Also the Ministry of Food monitored the nation's diet and made sure it was balanced. Will this need be recognised now? It was so successful during WW2 under Jack Drummond that when the war ended the health of the nation was better than in 1939.
The better end of society soon adopted the stance of 'we are all in it together' and voluntary work was the norm. We are seeing the first glimmerings of this, how far will it go and will there be lasting results?
All these are Forgotten Corners. I hope someone else has read the history and remembers.

[Stanley]

It's very easy to be overwhelmed by the bad news in the media but there are some reports that give me hope. I saw a report last night that already 0ver 7,500 retired medical staff have responded to the call for volunteers. This chimes in with my comment yesterday about the explosion of volunteering in WW2. I also heard a Council representative say that in Nottingham they had numerous volunteers coming forwards and confessing that the numbers were embarrassing as they were having great difficulty responding to them due to lack of staff. That might be one place where they can be used. One small personal example of this is that several people have taken the trouble to approach me and said they would shop for me if needed, all in the back street. I have thanked all of them and am heartened that at least some people in this world are not obsessed with 'self'.
I may be kidding myself but there seems to be a genuine increase in concern and thought for others at the moment. I hope I am right.
So this morning is a reverse Forgotten Corner! Let's take note of the helpful signs and reciprocate.

[Tizer]

As well as my young cousin helping us, a neighbour has `leafleted' other neighbours here offering to shop for them. We've offered help to the man across the street who has limited mobility. He also get rid of his garden rubbish in our green wheelie bin.

[Tripps]

I learned the history of these Nissen huts only today, despite having seen them lots of times. Built to receive casualties from the D day landings in 1944 - or so I read.

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I took this photo a while back - a forgotten corner for a long time.
I think we were speaking of the Cornish word 'dreckly'.
I was going to caption it 'Mr Gilhooly will see you dreckly sir'. I'm easily amused. . . .

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[Stanley]

Amazing how long some 'temporary' wartime buildings have survived.
My mind is racing of course with the news from Earby and I don't know why but Spud's New Bike entered my head so I have bumped it. I think we all need a good laugh before that becomes a forgotten corner!

[Tripps]

I think we all need a good laugh before that becomes a forgotten corner!

You're a good judge - as they say in racing.

I have a print out of John Clayton's tale nearby at all times. I actually learned how to fit it to A5 size, and it lives in one of my many filofax type thingies.

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[PanBiker]

I posted this earlier but it seems to have disappeared?

I have a photo of myself standing outside the exact same Nissen hut that I have picture of my dad guarding in Iceland in 1941.

[Stanley]

Thanks David....
That's a snap to remember Ian! I suppose my equivalent would be to find the hospital where my dad was treated for clap for the whole of his army service until he deserted! Let's hear it for STDs.

[Bodger]

Stanley, did your dad get a FFI ?

[Stanley]

You mean a 'short arm inspection', don't know, here's what I know from the memoir I compiled after we had done all the research and found the records of his hospital stay which amazingly have survived in the Australian archives.

"He found Uncle Stan in France when he got there, being a railway man Stan was working on a light railway unit running supplies up to the front, usually under the cover of darkness. [This story is possible because we know he embarked for France on the same day as Stan. [According to his service record father embarked for France May 29th 1917, same date as Uncle Stan but we don’t know if they were on the same boat.] The problem is that the date was May 29th 1917 and from May 31st 1917 until July 1st he was in hospital. He rejoined his unit in France but was back in hospital again on October 27th. On November 7th he rejoined his unit and was sent to England on leave. On December 2nd he was in hospital in England whilst on leave, as far as we can tell all these spells in hospital were for ‘Inflamed Larynx’. It seems he was back in France for Christmas 1917 and this may be when Stan got into trouble with the rum but there is nothing in his service record. He actually served for six months at the front and as far as I can tell from his records he was with the 15th Australian Light Railway Operating Company (ALROC)

On July 16th 1918 father was on leave in Glasgow busy contracting Gonorrhoea from a professional lady. On July 27th he was admitted to hospital in UK for this reason and was eventually discharged to Depot on October 12th 1918. By October 19th he is back in hospital with the same infection. He was in hospital until April 26th 1919 when he was discharged to 1st Army District HQ staff. This discharge never happened or if it did he was immediately re-admitted because we know from the hospital records he was still in there on July 9th 1919 and we have no discharge date. The last entry we have is him being reported absent without leave on October 12th 1919. He was on the run and heading for Manchester."
If anyone is sufficiently interested look for 'An Australian Life' on Lulu or online in Google Books.

[Bodger]

F.F. I. = free from infection

[Stanley]

Yup. We used to have mass 'short arm' inspections. Long lines of lads in shirt tails and a medic going down the line inspecting tackle. He used a pencil to move the danglies about. I often wondered what they did with that pencil afterwards. I have this image in my head of some medical orderly sat at his desk chewing the end if his pencil.....

[Stanley]

Sorry about that, it was part of life then.



As was Spandau Gaol and it's inmates in 1954. Almost 50 years later Martha took a group of students to Germany and I accompanied them. We visited Nuremberg and went to the courthouse where the Nazi leaders were tried. The students got the benefit of hearing from someone who had guarded Spandau and I notice a court official listening as well. He told me afterwards that as far as he know, nobody who had been at Spandau had ever been to the court. I told him that there was something wrong with the courtroom, it was too small. He said I was right, there wasn't enough room for the press in the court so they knocked the wall down and used the next court as well.
We went to the Zeppelin Field as well in Nuremberg, better known to us as the site of the Nuremberg Rallies. I can tell you that you get a funny feeling when you are stood in the exact same spot on the podium where Hitler once stood.



Forgotten corners and perhaps just as well.

[plaques]

These pictures are a mock up at Blyth Battery lookout station showing some of the old military communications equipment used in WW2. Everything on show was part of a private collection with the owner going to great lengths to explain what it was all about.

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[PanBiker]

We went to the Zeppelin Field as well in Nuremberg, better known to us as the site of the Nuremberg Rallies. I can tell you that you get a funny feeling when you are stood in the exact same spot on the podium where Hitler once stood.

Funny you should say that Stanley, I got a similar feeling standing at the Trocadero where Hitler viewed the Eiffel Tower after the fall of Paris. You have to know the history of course. I didn't come anywhere near the feelings experienced in Oradour-sur-Glane though. Is it possible to sense historical evil?

[Stanley]

Not sure Ian but I would like to think so. One thing is certain, prior knowledge, however acquired, intensifies the experience. I think my most intense experience was when Ken Collins and I were shown round the Russian Military cemetery in the Tiergarten in Berlin by an officer who was disabled by a wound he received at Stalingrad.



There are two of these tanks flanking the entrance and the officer told us the crews were still inside them. I have a feeling that was true..... but how would we ever know for sure...

[Stanley]

This is a forgotten corner now. L to R. John Henry Pickles (farm man at Yew Tree for Richard), ? who was farm man at Demesne for David Drinkall. Richard Drinkall, Yew Tree, West Marton whom I worked for. David Lister of Burley in Wharfedale who was our calf salesman. David Drinkall of Demesne, Gisburn. SG. This was Gargrave Show 1970.
We hear a lot about major sporting events being cancelled or postponed but very little about the thousands of smaller events ranging from County Shows to weekly meetings of the WI an a village hall. Collectively the total of deprivation caused by these will exceed the bigger events like the Olympics. The sooner they can return to somewhere near normal the better.