David Roberts emailed me to say:
" At the age of 19, I spent 6 excellent months at Sully with a "shadow" on the lung.
Initially, in line with your experience, I felt a dread of what I was about to experience. (My dread and my mother's shame when the house was fumigated on the basis that people might consider me to have been neglected, despite being the most well fed and cared for lad in the village).
After a few days, an "hotel" experience began, once I had come to terms with the prospects of 6 months confinement.
Quickly, "confinement" became a relative term and, along with two other new friends, trecked regularly along the rocks to enjoy a few pints at the Sully Arms.
We always used the bar area, presuming any staff from the hospital would more likely choose the lounge.
Other regular trips in the afternoon (post stretmosin injections), were undertaken to Barry High Street and the Docks. On one occasion we were driven to make a quick exit from a shop in the High Street on encountering the "battle axe" Sister England. (The same Sister that banned me using a short dressing gown on the basis of it being a smoking jacket.)
All in all, it was a wonderful experience and a productive one too. The Friends of Sully funded a Book Keeping correspondance course which later proved invaluable in business and, following a period of boredom, an arrangement was made for me to work in the records department on a part time basis. (Try that today under the Data Protection Act!."
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