I did something amazing last week - I gave blood!

As a kid I always went with my mum when she went to give blood and she always said she wanted me to give blood when I was old enough but I always found a reason to get out of it...

In April when I left home, moved to Norfolk from Surrey and started work at the Eastern Daily Press, I decided that it was about time to start doing more "grown up" things and I signed up to give blood.

It took a while but I was eventually contacted about two weeks ago and asked if I wanted to go and give blood at Elme Hall in Wisbech, which is just a short drive from my abode, and I went along last Tuesday.

I wasn't really sure what to expect and I was trying really hard to remember what it was like when I watched my mum giving blood all those years ago.

I was quite nervous in the lead up to giving my donation but on entering the ballroom at Elme Hall, I became relaxed pretty quickly with the amount of people I saw either giving blood or waiting to give blood. I mean surely if this many people give blood it can't be that bad?

I was the youngest person in the ballroom which probably says a lot about my generation but I did get a few nods of acknowledgement from some of the older members which helped calm any remaining nerves.

Then my name was called and I suddenly felt like I had been taken out of Wisbech and plunked into a London studio and was in fact making an appearance on Mastermind with my chosen category being me and my personal life!

After the shock of answering more questions about my sex life than I probably have shared with everyone I know COMBINED, I settled back in the waiting area and waited for my name to be called to give blood.

It was at this point I remember thinking: "That's it - no turning back now" and then I was called up and you know what?! It wasn't that bad!

The only problem I had was being told I had to "work for it" - I had driven from work to get there, I didn't want to do anything but sit there and let the blood trickle out!!

After what seemed ages, my donation was complete and I was allowed to go.... What a truly strange yet great experience. Would I do it again? Oh go on then!