Mobile rings: Can you be a patient in a hospital for 5 days?
Let me see, can I sit round, do nothing and get paid for 5 days? Yep - job confirmed!
It's always a strange place to go to Elstree Studios as you have Eastenders on one side and Holby on the other and never the twain shall meet! Turned up for my first day (BTW this is the only job that doesn't provide food unless you want crisps, biscuits or fruit) but you get a lunch allowance paid to you after the job is finished. I walked down the corridor with my ridiculously heavy bag - wasn't sure which PJ's they'd want or slippers or bath robe....to find my lovely friend Kathy who I'd appeared in Cardinal Burns with. Excellent! We got changed into out lovely hospital gowns - mine was huge so I was stapled into it - then went to meet the others. We were a mixed bunch of young and old - some were nurses, patients and visitors. There was one 'comedian' who was telling us all about his adventures on set, many of which seemed to revolve around pubs! Sadly, he didn't last long as he liked to muck about on set, such as falling out of bed which although raised a smile to us, didn't endear him to the director. One girl was a professional dancer and about to take on a job as a dancer on a cruise for six months - how lovely! Another was a DJ, someone else an actress - it's always interesting to find out what people actually do.
I was asked if I could look very ill. Actually they meant dead! I had to lie in bed very still whilst a nurse checked my pulse, sounded the alarm then the doctor and nurses started to resuscitate me. There was a lot of laughter as people grabbed things in a hurry to help and then realised they had picked up suppositories or pile cream!
Another day I had to lie on a stretcher bed and be pushed around which is a very odd feeling. Not only are you not in control but when the ceiling starts passing by it does start to make you feel really ill! Sometimes you get to interact with the main actors - always exciting.
After five days it was time to go and leave Holby behind. THere was lots of hugging each other and it was all very emotional to leave one another. It is an amazing feeling at the end of five days as these strangers have turned into good friends. After all, there really isn't a lot to do there except read and talk so we probably found out more about each other in those few days than possibly their own friends knew about them. I am glad to say that I am still in touch with all of them and I will be more than pleased if ever our paths get to cross again. Holby City - what a legend!
I was asked if I could look very ill. Actually they meant dead! I had to lie in bed very still whilst a nurse checked my pulse, sounded the alarm then the doctor and nurses started to resuscitate me. There was a lot of laughter as people grabbed things in a hurry to help and then realised they had picked up suppositories or pile cream!
Another day I had to lie on a stretcher bed and be pushed around which is a very odd feeling. Not only are you not in control but when the ceiling starts passing by it does start to make you feel really ill! Sometimes you get to interact with the main actors - always exciting.
After five days it was time to go and leave Holby behind. THere was lots of hugging each other and it was all very emotional to leave one another. It is an amazing feeling at the end of five days as these strangers have turned into good friends. After all, there really isn't a lot to do there except read and talk so we probably found out more about each other in those few days than possibly their own friends knew about them. I am glad to say that I am still in touch with all of them and I will be more than pleased if ever our paths get to cross again. Holby City - what a legend!
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