(1.) When I was 5 years old, my parents took me to the sands near our house it was a hot summer’s afternoon and my mother had prepared a picnic as it was a public holiday. (2.) The beach was crowded that day, each family group made a little ‘camp’ where they could spread out their towels and lay down their food. (3.) My father had rented 2 deckchairs. (4.) So that he and my mum could sit in comfort. (5.) I was sitting on the sand. (6.) I remember running my hand down the smooth wood of the deckchair, suddenly I screamed in pain when something ‘bit’ me. (7.) It was not an insect it was the deckchair itself that had attacked me. (8.) The palm of my hand was full of splinters. (9.) I screamed and screamed as there were dozens of tiny pieces of wood embedded in my skin. (10.) Which was now inflamed. 11.) My father picked me up and ran with me to the hospital he told me not to touch my hand. (12.) I remember waiting in the casualty department for ages before the doctor saw me. (13.) The doctor had a special tool to individually extract each splinter from my hand, which was very sore, it was a long time before I ever touched a piece of wood again.