Wednesday 23rd April -Royal Cross Hospital

Wednesday 23rd April
Today we went to visit Pat the nurse at Royal Cross Hospital. It was a good experience if slightly surreal. Going there was like stepping into the filming of an Oxfam aid appeal. I felt very lucky to be experiencing such a place and getting to walk around the wards in real life. The Hospital is short on staff but there is an amazing sense of team work and community where the nurses treat the patients but the families of the patients are the ones that cook for everyone and come together to do all of the washing to keep the going.


We stopped by Crunchies to get the cake. I was on the phone to Caroline & Kate from Amaudo UK at the time so left V/Rev T to go in on his own. The previous day he had been looking at wholesome fruitcake in loaves and circular shapes so I was horrified to open the box to find a frosted green and yellow cake. It was pretty hideous looking and I was worried what Martha would say because I know I had been laughing at those cakes so much when I first saw them. I suppose green on yellow may be better than pink on blue but I still was pretty shocked at his choice and he was surprised at my reaction.

When we got to Bende Rev David stopped our car and when Martha and V/Rev were doing something he entered the car to talk to me. When we saw Martha returning he lent over to open her door and lay his whole body over the cake pressing down at least 5cm. I shouted on him and was very cross. Now Martha not only has to have a green birthday cake she is also being given a squashed one.

I decided that I would loose the hair tonight now that Sister and Pat have both admired it. I half want to keep it to show Benson but he missed his chance on Tuesday. The texture is not like that of my own hair it is rough and itchy against my skin and your not able to wash your hair with attachments in because it makes it smell very bad. Pulling it out made me sympathise with how much pain all these girls are going through to keep themselves looking and feeling fine. I felt a guilty relief to be finding soft, smooth English hair underneath that I can run my fingers through and comb neatly in 60 seconds.