Interview with Michael Wilkinson
“When I was 11 I was stuck in hospital for a big operation on me legs, four operations altogether. Before that I used to crawl everywhere. After these operations – because my feet and legs were different – I couldn’t crawl again for ages. It was autumn and I was getting very agitated because I thought I wouldn’t get out before Christmas. I had both legs in pots from the hips down, with a big metal bar in between to keep me legs apart. One of the operations was to cut my tendons, so I could part my legs. Before that my legs were forced together. I used to walk on my toes.”Born 12 May 1953
Educated Wilfred Pickles School for Spastics
Tape 1, side 1
Born in Derby in 1953. First memory of a picnic in father’s Morris Standard car near Burton-on-Trent. Father used to drive a truck delivering gravel and sand for a local pit. Later, he was a fitter’s mate at a local power station. Mother had a fish shop. Michael was christened in hospital. Trips to the hospital. Michael used to crawl everywhere and had to wear a great big rubber pad on his forehead because he kept banging his head on the floor. Interview to the Spastics Society boarding school. The Go-Cart Gang. Visiting scrapyards. Collecting Corgi and Dinky cars.
Tape 1, side 2
Relationship with parents. Four operations on legs at the age of 11. Schoolwork on electric typewriter. University to study Psychology and Sociology. MW had younger brother David and an older sister Pauline. Older brother Ken drowned in a canoe aged 17 when MW was a baby. Grandparents in Pocklington.
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Tape 2, side 1
Burton-on-Trent. Grandad was the caretaker and choirmaster of the local church at Pocklington. He was still riding his bike at the age of 88. Description of parents’ house. Experiences of institutional care at school and Basingstoke hostel for 25 people with cerebral palsy.
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Tape 3, side 1
Wilfred Pickles School for Spastics from age 4 until 16. Imposed rest periods. Discipline regime. Riding on three-wheeler bikes. Stuart, Windsor, Tudor and Norman house system. Sports day and speech day. Letters home. Four operations at age 11 to part legs and to get feet to bend or point down.
Tape 3, side 2
School youth club called the Grangers. Tixover Grange. Tuck shop. Three shillings pocket money for term. Go-Cart Gang. Accompanying dad on his part-time job on Friday or Saturday delivering groceries for the local supermarket in his van. Dad’s love for Vauxhalls. Collection of 7,500 toy cars.
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Tape 4, side 1
Riding bike. Interest in toy cars – Dinkies. Family holidays in static caravan at Bridlington or Scarborough. Walking and fishing. 'Family Favourites' radio show. TV at weekends. 'Black and White Minstrel Show' on Saturday night.
Homesickness. Did homework during the day at school. Not entered for exams. Attended a Foundation Course in Sheffield aged 25. Day centre – light assembly work and cutting up firewood. Refused to work for £2.50 a week.
Girlfriends at school. Engaged for two weeks. Left school with no qualifications. PHAB outings.
Tape 4, Side 2
'O' and 'A' levels. Offered a place at Sheffield University, Psychology and Sociology. Girlfriend of six years was psychologist, researching into cerebral palsy. Father was an electrician at a local power station and also worked on a chicken farm as a gardener and drove a van for a local supermarket. In 1972, father had to pack up work because of ill health and died two years later. Ageing and cp. Dressing and feeding difficulties. Anti-spasm pills, in different doses, for 22 years. Coping strategies and living on one’s own. Independent living.
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