I RECENTLY underwent an operation in Bury General Hospital.

It isn't until you lie in a hospital bed that you realise just how hard the staff have to work. Their patients aren't always reasonable and some can be extremely demanding. But whether it is 3am., or 3pm., they adopt the same professional manner.

Perhaps we are all a little guilty of taking them for granted, yet they are people genuinely worthy of our admiration.

JOHN CRAWSHAW

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.