I’m George and I’m 78. I worked as a film extra, which is called being a ‘background artiste’ now! My career started when I was at drama school. I was 18 when I got my first film role in Life at the Top, which was being filmed in Bradford where I was from. That’s the time I met Honor Blackman and she gave me my stage name, which was Jason Ives.
I was injured a few months ago when I was waiting for my yoga class to start. I’d rushed to get there and I got hot, so I tried to pull my hoodie off, and as I threw it off I went backwards and fell over a three foot wall, cracking my head on the pavement. I had an out-of-body experience like I was looking down at myself – to me, it looked like Bambi when he’s just been born, with his legs all over. Then I heard this man say ‘get up, get up, I saw you fall’. He said ‘move your arms’ too, but I couldn’t.
The next minute I heard the ambulance and then the paramedics looked at me and said ‘I’m sorry, but would you mind if we cut your shirt off?’ I’d paid £30 for the t-shirt the day before, from one of the top designers as well, and that’s all I was thinking about! Anyway, they helped me and put me on a hard bord and into the ambulance, and I was whisked away with the blue lights to Portsmouth hospital.
I was in Portsmouth for about two months I think, laying flat on my back, looking at the ceiling with a neck brace on. But then I had one or two sessions in the gym and all of a sudden, like a flash, the use of my legs and arms came back! They said I was the first person they’d ever known to walk after an accident like the one I’d had.
Then I came to Salisbury District Hospital. I really wanted to do as much rehab as possible so I asked them to give me more to do, and they were surprised that I could walk all the way from the length of the gym down to the lifts, and even up the stairs at the end. It was absolutely fantastic, realising I could do it.
I’ve had one or two falls since then, which has knocked my confidence because I was just getting to walk by myself. But they’ve started letting me use the spa bath, which is wonderful. The exercises were hard at first but then within weeks I was doing it well. They all said ‘you’re doing marvelously!’
I didn’t start using Horatio’s Garden until I’d been in the hospital for some time. When they mentioned it, I thought it would be nice to walk around there, but I didn’t have the confidence to try. After a while though, the staff gave me the confidence to walk outside and go around the garden.
When I walked around the garden and saw all the lovely flowers and plants coming up, it was a marvel, really. Just to smell the fresh air. And then when I smelt the coffee coming from the little oasis that is the garden room – oh! The posh coffee there was wonderful. That gave me the courage to keep coming down and walking round the garden.
I’ve done loads of things in the garden now. There’s horticultural therapy, and I’ve got a wonderful teacher, Lucy the Head Gardener. She teaches me how to separate seeds from the rough and how to pick them up, plant them, replant them. We’ve been doing that for about two months now I think. We’ve been doing some wonderful things. She’s really given me the oomph to get back out into the garden after my fall.
The arts too have been wonderful. I’ve made some wonderful pottery, which I’ll sell on eBay soon! They’re absolutely gorgeous. I’ve done a little white piggy, and a little hare. Well, it looks like a hare, but it’s a rabbit really. It’s looking up at the moon.
The pottery is the only thing that really got my fingers working. By kneading the pottery and rolling it out, it’s made a huge difference. The day after my fingers really hurt because I’ve been moving them, but they’ve got my hands working so much better.
There are so many things here that I’ll always remember. The wonderful volunteers bringing me my posh coffee. I look forward to Fridays when some of my favourite volunteers come in, and especially to the nice cakes. They’re absolutely gorgeous. I will miss it forever.
I’m hoping to come back in the summer and have a look around the garden again. My injury has affected me quite a lot, my confidence more than anything else, but I’m hoping it will come back. Before my accident I was planning to go on the Camino walk through Spain. I’d still like to do it, not the full length of course, but maybe the last ten miles where I can stay in one of the hostels and get my passport stamped.
To other people in my situation, if they come to this hospital, I’d tell them to never give up. Always look on the bright side and there’s always tomorrow. Things will always get better, you know.
Horatio’s Garden, I think it’s a wonderful idea. To see them being built all over England now, it’s just glorious. This garden will never leave my memory.
The creative workshops George mentions in his story are part of the charity’s Arts Programme, generously supported by Arts Council England.
