As soon as she had left the room, I managed to take a chair from the dining room table, drag it into the kitchen, and climbed up to a height where I could reach the calpol. Before she had returned, I had managed to open the lid and I had drunk the whole of the bottle. Unsurprisingly I was sick, fairly quickly, and was taken with some speed, to Burnley General Hospital, where the nurse administered more medicine.
Although most of my early childhood remains a distant blur, I can also recall the time when my sister broke her elbow playing in the back garden in our house in Read.
As this occurred during the day and my dad was out at work, a friendly neighbour drove us to the Accident and Emergency Department of Burnley General Hospital and my sister spent the night in a hospital ward where she was kept under observation. Life in a small village had its advantages, and we quickly made friends with a number of children nearby.
When I was old enough I attended a local nursery school in Read. As this was a village school most of the children from the neighbourhood attended. I can’t recall much of these early years of my life but I remember my favourite thing to do at nursery was story time because I was always very attentive and enjoyed listening to the teacher.
After a couple of years at the local nursery I was then ready to take the next step in life, Primary School. On my first day of primary school I can remember feeling particularly nervous and as a direct result refused to eat any breakfast that morning. My Mum was quick to provide reassurance and to tell me “that everything would be okay”.
When I arrived at school I realised that most of the other children in my class were in a similar position of not knowing most of their classmates. The class size was small and that helped me to form friendships from an early stage, and I soon settled into my new surroundings, at St. Joseph’s, Park Hill.
Also to help me adjust to primary school my mum encouraged me to invite classmates round to the house for tea. I feel that this helped me also to make new friends.
In 1997 whilst in Year Four at primary school our family was extended to 5, with the birth of my brother, Matthew. He is the youngest member of our family and therefore gets spoilt rotten by everyone.
My proudest moment at Park Hill was almost certainly in Year five when at the end of year prize giving awards it was announced by the headmistress, Sister Joan, that I had won the trophy for “Best Achievement”. I had not expected to win the trophy but when my name was called out in assembly I was really pleased, and my parents were both extremely proud of my accomplishment.
Nerves reappeared at the end of Year six, when my time at Park Hill was finished and I realised that my next school term would be at secondary school. I felt concerned about making what I regarded as a huge leap, from being in the oldest year at a relatively small school, to one of the youngest pupils, at a much larger school.When I look back it was the thought of a new environment, which caused me to worry and feel anxious. However after a short period at St. Hilda’s my concerns had disappeared. I had quickly made new friends and settled into life at secondary school.
One adventure I recall well at my new secondary school was the year seven trip to Lourdes. I was initially none too keen to travel as my friends were not making the journey. My parents were adamant that I would enjoy the trip and that it was also an opportunity to make new friends and experience a different country. This proved good advice and I feel it was an important part of my development.
I now have a number of friends whose company I enjoy. This extends to friendship beyond school and I have a group of mates who regularly socialise together. We spend a lot of time in each others company particularly at weekends, attending a youth club, most Friday nights where we listen to live bands and watch talent contests.
My family are also a very important part of my life. Holidays are a particularly favourite time. When we travel abroad it is normally to a much warmer climate, which helps people to relax, unwind and enjoy the sun. It is also a rare opportunity to spend quality time together with the people who are closest to me.
Countries I have visited and experienced varied cultures include, France, Spain, Malta, Tenerife and Lanzarote. I feel that travelling has been a good part of my development because I experience a different way of life, days in the sunshine, and other types of cuisine.
I also take pleasure in holidaying in Britain. Travelling to places such as Somerset, Pembrokeshire and Devon have provided hours and hours of fun, especially to our dog Bouncer, who is a golden retriever. As you would expect walking is his favourite pastime and he loves running into the sea or if we are in the countryside running loose on farmland. Evenings bring a visit to the pub and a whole new form of relaxation particularly for my Dad when he is not driving.
Another favourite family time is the Christmas period. Christmas days in our house are hectic. The whole family congregates together including both sets of Grandparents, and my Mums sister, Auntie Karen. It is always an early start to the day, following Santa’s arrival and Matthew’s excitement sets the tone for the day. Two tables are required to seat everybody, as we enjoy my favourite meal of the year, Christmas dinner. There are always enough leftovers for Bouncer who also seems to consider it, a meal not to miss!!
Aged fifteen, I feel that there have already been several periods of change during my life. I feel better prepared to deal with changing situations, and less inclined to worry and feel nervous about the unknown.
I am now starting to think towards the future and my career. At the moment, my ambition is to be a primary school teacher, mainly because I believe I would like to work with children.
Samantha Wharfe