Former Wren among those vaccinated at Ashton Gate Stadium

A former Wren received her first dose of the Covid-19 jab at the mass vaccination centre set up at Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol.

Marion Fursman, 90, from Henleaze in the city, said she was “absolutely delighted” to have received the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine on Monday.

She served for three years as a Wren during the Second World War, which entailed driving ambulances and lorries.

When asked by reporters whether a wartime spirit was needed to get through the pandemic, Mrs Fursman replied: “That’s certainly what we need, definitely.

“Being in the services prepares you for something more difficult like this.

“At my age, I wouldn’t be terribly active but I would like to have been able to go out and meet my friends, but everybody has had that problem so I’ve managed to cope with it pretty well.

“I live on my own and I can cope quite well.”

She said she believed the UK Government was dealing with coronavirus “excellently”.

“Now we’ve got this lockdown, that should be a good thing, it’s what we need,” she said.

“We’ve got to get people to understand that you can’t go out and do what you like and meet people.

“It’s difficult but something we need to do.”

She said she “couldn’t have been better pleased” to receive her vaccine after learning of the appointment a few days ago.

Husband and wife John and Hazel Watson, from Almondsbury, south Gloucestershire, also received their first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine at Ashton Gate Stadium.

Mrs Watson, 82, said: “It was just really exciting, a great relief to feel that we now have some protection against this virus.

“It’s been quite worrying, we do feel quite vulnerable.”

She said the couple had tried to isolate as much as possible during the pandemic, with the “saddest part” not being able to see their family in person.

Mr Watson, 81, said Boris Johnson asked them “general questions” about their experience at the mass vaccination centre.

“The organisation here has been fantastic – as soon as you pull up you’re looked after and brought to each station so quickly,” he said.

Sue Jones, 57, who works for North Bristol NHS Trust, said she was “very pleased” to have received her first dose of the vaccine.

“It was amazing, actually. It was very quick and I am very pleased to have the vaccine,” she said.

“It is a game-changer and will change people’s lives, although it will obviously take time.

“I was shielding during the first lockdown, so I am pleased to have the option today, as a retired and returned nurse.”

She called for people to follow the rules as the impact of the vaccination programme would “take time”.

“I think, just like anyone, I’m looking forward to life getting back to normality, really,” she said.

“Particularly for my elderly relatives and child who are young adults. It is a very strange world we are living in at the moment.”

Roslyn Wlaznik, 51, a registered care manager for a domiciliary agency, said she felt “very excited” to have been offered the jab and praised staff at the vaccination centre.

“It was very well organised, you feel very safe while they take you through the process,” she said.

“They give you all the information that they feel you need, a bit of advice about what to do next, what to look out for.

“It is very safe, it is very straightforward to go through. I don’t feel there’s anything to be anxious or apprehensive about.”