How not to deal with infection
In the early 1930s, my great-grandma buggered off and disappeared and was never seen again. Having 13 kids, my grt-grandad couldn't cope, mainly due to stress and worry even after spending a small fortune on a firm of private detectives to track her down. The stress made him very ill and within a year he was dead. Within those 12 months however, a few of the kids moved in with my grandad who was one of the eldest and was already married, and the four youngest were taken into care, which in those days meant Barnardo's, the children's home.

One of the women in charge at that particular home was a slave-driving witch and would treat the place like a workhouse. She was truly evil it seems.

The youngest, my great-uncle Walter who was about 9 at the time was given the task of scouring the hearth of one of the fireplaces with some black lead and a handful of coarse wire-wool, which he had to finish before breakfast. Whilst he was doing this, a small length of swarf went right under his thumbnail. Not wanting to get into trouble by stopping his task, he pulled it out again with his teeth, and carried on, in tears.

His thumb throbbed all day, even though he had to do another four fireplaces and then go outside and wash all the windows, and you can imagine what that was like in November.

He hardly slept that night because of the pain, and the next morning most of the underneath of his thumbnail had become infected and gone black. The evil witch lady found him and gave him a bucket of water and a brush and told him to scrub the kitchen floor (or the scullery as it was called). He had been quietly sobbing all morning and putting his hand in the water was just too unbearable.
"I can't do it, my thumb hurts" he said.
"Where? And woe betide you if you're lying" said evil lady and she grabbed his hand and had a look. "Right, I'll fix that". She led him over to the stove and plunged his thumb in boiling water and held it there.

He said he screamed louder and longer than he ever has since, even when he was shot twice in the shin during the invasion of Germany. He was then strapped across the backside with a belt for making such a racket and then locked in a cupboard. A couple of hours later he was dragged out and sent to bed. His big-sister Beattie, who was about 12 found him still crying and bawling. Between the sobs, he told her what had happened and she gave him a big hug and said to wait there. She came back with the head of the house, a Mrs Morfitt, who looked at his thumb.

"Right, come with me." and she took him into town to the hospital where he thumb was treated properly. After this, they then went back to the home. On arrival, they sent for the evil lady. She came to find out what was going on. She saw Walter and shouted at him "What have you been saying? More lies I expect". Then she saw the two policemen Mrs Morfitt had brought back with her and then went quiet. One policeman sat with her whilst the other talked to Walter and then spoke to a number of other young boys who had all received similar treatment. Afterwards, the evil witch was then carted off and was never seen again.

He told me all this when I went to see him after he retired at 80 from his barber-shop which he opened in 1949. His thumb still bore the scars from that awful day even after 70 years.
( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Thu 20 Jan 2011, 15:51, 7 replies)

What a meanie!
Have a click in sympathy for your gramps
( shinyshinyscalp less a man, more a way of life, Thu 20 Jan 2011, 16:03, closed)

Gah!
The idea of having swarf (good word!) underneath your thumbnail made me clutch my face in cringing horror.
(SimianKid internet faffer, Thu 20 Jan 2011, 16:11, closed)

Hells Bells!
Boo for the skanky, sour faced old harridan.
Woo for your uncle for coming through all that.
( LemonEntryMyDearWatson This time, Moriarty, the hand is on the other foot, Thu 20 Jan 2011, 16:22, closed)

I thought this was a parody
of Annie, until the full on violence kicked in.
(bROKEN aRROW PUA HVI Master, Thu 20 Jan 2011, 17:57, closed)

I feel guilty about clicking "I like this"
But you've told the story so well.
(Jugular, Thu 20 Jan 2011, 20:03, closed)

ahhh, the good old days

(pounana Slept well, and dreamed of large women, on, Thu 20 Jan 2011, 20:03, closed)

Murder!
Have you ever considered Ol' Walt' got the scar on his thumb from butchering and eating his Mum? Like some sort of Swansea Todd the mad barber of leek street?

Only joking. Salt of the earth is Walter. We all know that.
(Except for his penchant to eat people)
( Dervel OTBC, Fri 21 Jan 2011, 11:32, closed)