I always go and speak too soon, don’t I?

There I was, last week, congratulating myself on getting out of hospital and home in time for Christmas . . . but the risk of writing something like that, a few days before the big day, means there’s still a few days left for my body to find a way of going wrong.

And so, true to form, on Christmas Eve I found myself being admitted to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital for an emergency blood transfusion, having become extremely anaemic somehow or another, over the last few months. Rheumatoid arthritis tends to do that to you.

I was resigned to spending the festivities as an in-patient once again, but more to the point, after feeling pretty darned lousy for a little while, I was looking forward to getting blood back into my cold, white toes.

But my overwhelming emotion was gratitude to the big-hearted folk who’d turned out, somewhere in the country, right in the middle of the festive season, to donate their blood – to me, on this occasion. What on earth would we do otherwise?

In the UK, on most days there is less than a week’s supply of blood in our blood banks, and donated blood is only good for 35 days. Without people turning up to donate, every day of the week, come rain, shine or bank holidays, we would have a serious problem.

You know, in other countries, people are paid for donating their blood? The most anyone gets here is a cup of tea, a digestive and a warm feeling inside for a good deed done. And they still turn out, so good for them. Thanks to some anonymous donor (well, three in fact) I eventually spent Christmas inside a warm “Ready-Brek” glow . . . pink, healthy-looking and with the first bit of energy I’d felt in months.

Anyone between the ages of 17 and 65 can turn up to donate their blood, and yet only about four per cent of eligible donors across the country actually do it. I only wish I could donate mine, but I would appear to have a bit of a shortage right now and I can’t really vouch for the quality.

But it’s something nearly everyone can do, and speaking as the original human pincushion, if it’s the needle that puts you off, it really is over very quickly and before you know it you’ll be onto the digestive.

So a big thank you to all those who give their blood.

And to everyone else, if you really want to show a bit of peace, love and goodwill to all as we enter a new year, get down to your nearest blood centre and you’re guaranteed to come out with a warm feeling inside.

Go to www.blood.co.uk to find out more.