When I was born, I apparently was lucky to survive because of a bone disease problem within my nose that caused severe breathing difficulties, solved by an emergency stay at the Great Ormond Street Hospital, in London. Don’t forget, we are talking about very different times to now, immediately after the second world war had finished with food rationing etc that most these days can’t imagine the suffering that all had to endure. This year I am 79 years old and still going strongly.

More recently, one of my Grandchildren, Francesca when born, suffered with a life threatening problem with one of her kidneys which was solved again by an emergency ambulance dash from Bedford to Great Ormond Street Hospital immediately after she was born, to have that problem kidney removed, again saving her life. This year Francesca reaches her 21st birthday.

As a thank you to Great Ormond Street on behalf of both of us and the fact that combined, this year our ages add up to 100 years, we are attempting a sponsored Sky Dive on Sunday the 14th September, all we have to do is to jump out of a plane, way up in the air!!!

Anyway, none of us know when either ourselves or any of our loved ones are going to need the emergency help of this world renowned , fantastic hospital and so I would ask you all to give generously to this cause and thank you.