Mum – Saw Dr. W. at 10.30 – had taxi. To see Mr. A. I rang Mr. A but he was out so Mrs. A said he’d ring back. He did about 3.30 – to ask me to go for IVP straight away with Dr. Visick. Malcolm had just called so he took me. Dr. V. told me it was a stone. Mr. A. rang at night then came to see me. Said there was no need for me to go privately he would treat me himself all the time & I could have a side ward on my own.
Roger – Disappointing day at the Olympics. In the 4x400M relay (men) Alan Pascoe dropped the baton he may have been pushed. Foster finished 5th in the 5000M & Steve Ovett failed to qualify for the 1500m final but the other 2 Britons did. Got up early & went shopping. In the morning played Scrabble. Alan beat me but I came 2nd. After dinner went to Robinson’s on Colman Rd. to get Alan some Bread Mix but they hadn’t got any. Mum is going to have to have an operation which Mr. Ashken will do on Sunday. Dad might have come up for the weekend but if he has he didn’t come here. It’s just gone 12.
Notes
Dunoon
Mum and my two siblings Alan and Liz had been on holiday in Dunoon, see Chapter 122. They had been due to travel home the previous Saturday but had been unable to because mum had been unwell with symptoms suggesting a renal stone, see Chapter 116. Finally, mum had been well enough to travel so they had flown back arriving home the previous day.
Mum’s Illness
Mum saw her GP Dr Welch (Dr W) at 10.30 am, see Chapter 116. She got to the appointment by taxi. Mum noted that she was to see Consultant Urologist, Mr Ashken (Mr A). I am not sure if this was Dr Welch’s suggestion or mum’s as she worked for him as part-time secretary for his private practice.
Mr Ashken
During this period, mum was working as part-time medical secretary for the private practice of two surgeons, Mr Ashken and Mr Stephens, see Chapter 121. Michael Ralph Handley Ashken was consultant urologist at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital from 1968 to 1996. He was also President of the British Association of Urological Surgeons from 1994 to 1996. He was born in 1931 and he died in 2016. Mum was part-time secretary for his private practice from 1975 to 1980.
Mum phoned Mr Ashken but he was not there. His wife, Mrs Ashken (Mrs A), said he would phone when he got back. He did at around 3.30 pm. He asked her to go straight away for an intravenous pyelogram (IVP) which was also known as an intravenous urogram (IVU). This was to be done by Dr Visick. Mum noted that Rev Malcolm Carter had just called so he took her to have the IVP done.
Dr James Visick
According to a local press archive, Dr James Visick was a consultant radiologist at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital between at least 1976 and 1986, see Chapter 116. James Hedley Visick attended Epsom College in the early fifties before studying medicine at Bart’s. His outside interests included astronomy and singing in the Norwich Philharmonic Choir where he met his second wife Kirsty. He retired in 1997 and died in September 2024 aged 87.
Malcolm Carter
Malcolm refers to Rev Malcolm Carter. He was a Methodist Minister who became mum’s friend and confidant, see Chapter 114. From Merseyside, he served in the ministry there and in Darlington and East Anglia. He was Minister at Court Hey Methodist Church from 1978 to 1986. He was the Methodist chaplain to Walton Prison, now HM Prison Liverpool, for 20 years. I found a YouTube video of him taking a service at Wonford Methodist Church in Exeter in July 2024. When he was in Norwich, he was mainly based at Bowthorpe Road Methodist Church.
Renal Stone
Dr Visick confirmed that the IVP showed that she had a renal stone. At night, Mr Ashken phoned mum and came to see her. He told her that there would be no need for her to go privately, that is she would not need to pay. Presumably because she worked for him, he would provide her with private-level care, namely he would treat her personally himself all the time and he would arrange for her to have a side ward on her own.
This was one of many examples of mum receiving preferential health services because of who she worked for. I confess to being uncomfortable with this. Mum loved it and grew to expect this! This became problematic once she retired and could no longer command such preferential services.
Planned Surgery
In my diary, I noted that mum was going to have to have an operation which Mr. Ashken would do on Sunday, see Chapter 116.
Olympics
I noted that it was a disappointing day at the Olympics.
Dropped Baton
Two semi-finals of the men’s 4 x 400m relay were held on this day. The British team of Ainsley Bennett, Glen Cohen, David Jenkins and Alan Pascoe did not finish as Alan Pascoe dropped the baton although he may have been pushed. The British Olympic Association Official Report states that the baton was knocked from his hand by a passing Jamaican runner. The ultimate winners, the United States, set the fastest qualifying time of 2:59.52.
Fifth Place
Brendan Foster finished fifth in the 5000m.
Failed to Qualify for Final
Steve Ovett was obstructed and failed to qualify for the 1500m final but the two other Britons, Frank Clement and David Moorcroft, did.
Shopping
I got up early and did some shopping, probably food shopping, see Chapter 125,.
Scrabble
I played Scrabble in the morning with my brother Alan who beat me. I noted that I finished second but did not specify who else was playing. Possibly, my sister Lisz played or it is possible I was second of two!
Bread Mix
I went to the chemist to collect gluten-free bread mix for my brother Alan who had coeliac disease, see Chapter 116. I believe he got some gluten free items on prescription, such as bread and flour. My understanding is that while some gluten free items are still available on prescription in some places, they are much less available on prescription now than previously. On the other hand, gluten free items are much more available generally than they were then but they tend to be much more expensive than gluten-containing counterparts.
Robinsons
I went to Robinson’s to get this but they hadn’t got any. According to Kelly’s Directory and Kelly’s Tradefinder 1971-72, Guy C Robinson was a chemist at 143 Colman Road. This is in the shopping area on the corner of the Avenues. No 143 is right on the corner and currently houses Lucky Wok. Apparently, this is known as Bunnett Square. Many people on Facebook seem to recall Robinson’s being among a group of shops here. One of the things I remember about this group of shops is that the names were all in the same format with white letters on a blue background.
Dad Coming for the Weekend
I noted that my father Royle Drew might have come up for the weekend. He and my mother had separated in 1973 and, at this point, he was living and working in Birmingham, see Chapter 114. However, if he had come to Norwich, he had not yet come to ours by the time I was writing my diary which was just after midnight.
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