Nick Willing

It was the funniest memories because I got appendicitis and I was very, very badly ill in bed, in Portugal this was, when I was eight years old.

And it was late at night, evening, and mum came up tipsy.

She was always tipsy.

And took no notice.

And then my grandmother said, oh, I think he's very ill.

So off I went to the hospital and I had acute appendicitis.

Anyway, what happened was that the doctor also was drunk when he operated me.

He was the Portuguese hospital in the 60s.

early 70s.

Anyway, the point was I had to stay in a hospital for two weeks and my mum stayed with me, which for me was like incredible because I never saw her really.

She was always in London.

I was brought up in Portugal by the grandparents.

I think she felt a bit guilty because she hadn't paid attention.

You know, I could have died if it had burst my appendix.

And so she stayed with me the whole time.

She put a bed on the floor and slept next to my hospital bed.

And the whole day long we drew together.

And I've got these sketchbooks.

We did comic books together and I would draw one picture and then she would draw another one.

Hers are a bit better than mine.