I’m plastered.

 

One of our members had the misfortune to have a serious mining accident that put him in plaster from his toes to under his arms. His name is Terry. Many of his mates visited Terry and as one could understand with the time he had been immobile, he was very depressed.

Cliff, the angling secretary, reported on Terry’s condition and it was agreed to try to take him on the next fishing trip. Terry was over the moon with excitement at this prospect and, after getting clearance from his Doctor, the effort was on.

The first problem was how to get a plastered man on to a bus. So arrangements were made to take the bus to Terry’s home, then between us lift and manoeuvre him onto the front seat of the bus. With the help of strong miners and lots of grunting and laughter this was done.

On arrival at the river our next problem was to get Terry to his place to fish and as he was permanently flat on his back, some way to actually fish. Getting Terry off the bus proved more difficult than getting him on it but the successful method was to stand him upright and lower him through the door.

Unfortunately the river was bordered by a barbed wire fence and the problem of how to get Terry to the river bank was resolved when someone noticed a five barred gate, which on closer inspection had a small gap at the bottom. John, our colliery Engineer, had a look and said “I think he might just fit under there” and the decision was made, he was to go under. It must have looked like something from a comic book, forty men with fishing tackle heaving and pushing and pulling a fully plastered man under a gate! Terry was finally under the gate and by the side of the river.

Terry’s tackle was set up for him and after raising him up slightly he found he could cast and fish the match. However, there was a problem in how to rest his fishing rod but he solved this himself, he rested the rod between his toes!

All the club members had a great days fishing and although the return journey for Terry was uncomfortable, he said it was one of the best days of his life and an excellent tonic to aid his recovery.