After falling off a wall when he was about 7 years old and damaging his hip, my dad spent almost 3 years in Standon Hall Orthopaedic & TB hospital, in Shropshire. Here he is on 12th May 1937, in his "carriage" in the hospital grounds amidst an array of bunting, celebrating George VI's Coronation Day. Unfortunately, other than my grandmother (peeping out from behind my dad), I've no idea of the identity of the other people in the photograph.
Doctors feared that Dad would never walk again but my grandmother would have none of it and set about proving them wrong.
It could well be that the outbreak of World War Two turned out to be a force for good for Dad, as he was sent home in September 1939 to free up beds for the anticipated wounded soldiers. Who knows how long he would have floundered in hospital if that hadn't happened!
Here's a photograph taken with his mum, on the first day out of hospital. He certainly looks happy to be home! Though he did admit to me that moving back to a small cottage felt claustrophobic at first, after spending so long on a large ward with high ceilings.
You can read more about my dad's story on my Family History Secrets blog.