Before I begin I just want to say that without them we'd be lost wouldn't we. What a great bunch of people they are! Ok - stop grinning now and read on.

I was at an event not so long back in Sheffield, it was a lovely sunny day and there were lots of people milling around enjoying the day out. Suddenly an old gent behind me knelt on the floor and I saw lots of people begin to gather around, he was helped to a nearby stand where he was given a drink but still looked rather pale so sat there for a while.

In the meantime, somebody had rushed off to get help and ( trying not to smile ) I saw two rather large SJA staff waddling towards us trying to control bits of tape and bumbags jumping around their bodies, behind them was a tall thin SJA lady trying to catch up. When they reached the gent - the large bloke took his pulse whilst sweating and trying to catch his breath, the other was telling people to get out of the way and also shouting questions at the old gent.

I know I shouldn't laugh but I was doing my best to stop myself from cracking up, the old gent seemed rather bemused and kept telling them he was feeling better already, after another 5 minutes of questions and feeling his forehead and taking his pulse the large SJA bloke turned to the tall thin lady and said: 'We should get someone to look at him just in case'!

I do apologise to the SJA staff but I had to leg it so I could let out my laughter! I've not seen a funnier scene in ages.:hihi:

Here I go biting again:D

Perhaps if people like you

Got up off your backside
Did all the training needed
And then gave your spare time freely at events that couldn't happen without the sja support

We'd all have something to worry about :loopy:

Sure would. They have helped me out on quite a few occasions in the past. :thumbsup:

Hey! Im not knocking them, I think they are great too - just thought this was rather amusing thats all. :thumbsup:

Go on, tell us the event - we all have ideas who you are talking about & it's an opportunity for a good laugh at ourselves.

We in SJA are used to people having a dig at us from time to time - look at BBC's "Little Britain" and the so obviously SJA implied "St. Tom's Ambulance" with their essential selection of theraputic mints!

But as long as people appreciate the job we do we don't mind a (gentle) ribbing.

To find out more about us (& possibly be able to ID some of those you have seen doing a Keystone Kops act) go to:

www.sheffield.sja.org.uk

Many many yrs ago when I worked at The Blood Transfusion Service, collecting blood, we had SJA helping us out with staff.
We would go to villages and towns where the officer in charge of SJAS would only do the best job (assisting the Dr on the session)
passing him his syringes etc. Too much of a lady to get her hands dirty. (bloody).
Some of them tho, ran the session themselves , with the Blood trans service just supplying staff to clerk, bottle and do the ear test. So I suppose there were good and not so good.
One old SJA who was a regular helper at fargate (where we bled then) who seemed about 90 to me , Miss Tomlinson I think, was asked by us 19yr olds what she was doing for christmas. She said I have my book and I feed my birds. we were stunned into silence.
hazel