Email address : [email protected]
or
[email protected]
I stayed here until 1971, but I must add that in 1970 a group of us participated in the National Spastic Games at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, made famous by Sir Jimmy Saville, where some of us won medals for our achievements
In 1971 I was re-located by the L.E.A. to another School called Thomas Delarue School in Tonbridge, Kent TN11 9NP - Headmaster Patrick Mayhew, where I studied for my O Levels. As I couldn't hold a pen properly I did not do very well in my exams (I requested the use of a typewriter but was denied by my English Teacher Freda Ellwood - this was unfair as others used a typewriter in individual rooms). The physiotherapist at Delarue was really nice - her name Dorothy Morrison, she had a labrador dog who kept wondering into the physio department. Hattie Atkinson was one of our care assistants, so was "Woody" who has sadly died in 1998, "Brookie" is still alive and well in Tunbridge Wells. My Friends included Christine Brougham, who sadly hasn't kept in touch, and Chris Nykiel, who I see sometimes in Leeds, he went on to take a Degree at University and now lives and works in Leeds.
In 1978 I was given a place at a Further Education college in the Midlands - Hereward College, Tile Hill Lane, Coventry CV4 8PW - The Principsl was Mr A K McCallister, here I took a full office studies course comprising of 7 subjects, used a typewriter in all my exams and passed each one; which paved the way to me getting employment at a Library in November 1979, where I stayed until being medically retired in July 1996
At the Library I worked alongside able bodied people which was a struggle as I had a disability. At the beginning, I had a good colleague called Gail Raynard, now Gail Brooks who showed me the way things were done. We had a gorgeous female boss in our office called C Store Waiters in 1979 called Alison Masom, (the daughter of the Head of the Typing Pool at the Library), she was in the local area drama group and had a fabulous figure!!! Over the years, I found handling paperwork filing physically difficult, as I was always at the wrong height in my wheelchair, and in my later years of employment, worked on the computers in Administration (after taking my O level in computing at evening class at our local high school). After frequent hospital visits and treatment on my increasingly painful muscles, I retired from work in July 1996.
In 1984 I moved into another office. The Supervisor, Alf Hamilton made it known that he did not approve of a disabled person working alongside able bodied colleagues and he made my life more difficult than it already was trying to get through the same volume of work as others and I had to work to a time schedule as my job was a cog in chain of duties so others did their bit after I completed my part of the job. After a while Alf retired and his successor wasn't quite so hard on me; but the successor Jacqui Turner took the credit for me doing my job as she delegated alot of her computer work to me, which really added to my workload: This did not reflect in my annual report, because of my disability contributing to my slowness, I got low grades in my reports which disqualified me from any production output wage bonuses which my colleagues received. After I left work, I heard that my duties had been given to 3 other individuals of a higher grade - yes, I was doing the work of a higher grade but failed my interview for promotion in 1994 owing to my slight speech impediment as I stammered during the interview. If I got promotion, I would have been on a higher pension than I am now - Hey Ho, that''s the way it goes. My boss Bob Aspey favourite saying was "Hey Ho !!"
I miss my colleagues of which I had a few favourites. I asked a couple out on a date during my 17 years of employment, but the nearest I got to a date was buying Caroline her birthday dinner.
The fun-loving Sara Sharpe left to get marry Paul Hallet and move to London working for British Rail in 1982. she enjoyed polishing the bald head of Harold Chadwick, one of our distinguished colleages!! Very tall Sue Spedding who still works there. The ever quiet and shy Dawn Wooller who is still there. The tall Tracey with her long flowing hair - always had a smile . Liz Patricia Wilby, left to become a nurse in Hull. Liz Ann Seber, (softly spoken), really nice, who was also Liz Wilby's best friend, re-located to another area, as her husband got a transfer. Liz Dambraskas is still there. Paula Gibson left to get another local job - she was lovely, Great Sense of Humour and always fun to be with - had many laughs with her. The Lovely Karen Deighton, married and became Mrs Richardson. The Gorgeous Amanda Coulson who left to have a baby in 1985. The absolutely wonderful, long legged, gorgeous Caroline Yeadon, (who I once took her out for a evening meal for her birthday 12 July 1984 at the Mason's Arms Pub, at Hopperton);- she married another chap from the Library. I was lucky to have had the pleasure of working with these people. Just before I retired, Gail Brooks moved into my old office and is doing very well. There is also Lesley Davies who I must not forget - she kindly sends me a home made Christmas Card each year. Continued on right side of page.
Ever since leaving work I have tried to gather my life together. My first computer was a BBC Model B which I bought in 1984 from a firm in York Road, Leeds; then in 1994 I upgraded to a 486 32MB RAM with 850 MB hard disk buying it from a local firm in Harrogate North Yorkshire from a family firm called Dave & Lorraine (D&L Computers) who built it themselves. It was a load of rubbish as the hardware kept failing - they used poor quality componants and the after sales service was non-existant under the extra insurance cover I paid them. In 1997 the hard disk seized totally and they claimed they only had a smaller capacity drive to replace it that was compatible with the motherboard - 450MB drive for which D&L charged me �130. I had been ripped off again !!
In November 1999 I upgraded my old 486 computer to a pentium III (as a package deal) with internet facility and am trying to build friendships on the internet - am limited to how long i sit at my computer owing to muscle spasms in my neck and shoulders - the pain drains me of energy, but hey .... life had to go on. I am also kept active going outside in my electric powered wheelchair doing my grocery shopping; as my other hobby is photography I sometimes take along my camera with me and search for spectacular scenes to photograph such as landscapes, high performance / vintage sports cars and memorable happenings. I once took a picture of a bottle neck traffic jam in the village high street where I live, a motorist got angry at a bus driver who thought he had the right to make smaller vehicles give way!!
Born in April 1959, I am still single and unattached, though I'm not proud of it. Friends say it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all; though I must admit I have tried to fnd a girl-friend. I keep a positive attitude towards life whenever possible and try not to take life too seriously. What will be will be, you cannot change the past and cannot predict the future - Yesterday is a memory, today is a gift, an adventure and tommorrow is a mystery. I believe in living life for today, never put of until tomorrow what you can do today - 'cos if you like it you can do it again tomorrow!! Life is far too short to have regrets though i do regret not going to university to obtain a degree (as one of my old school pals did), instead when I achieved my necessary qualifications at college, I opted to accept a job in the British Lending Library, as in 1979 jobs for the disabled were hard to find.
In 1983 I took up motorcycling, riding a converted three wheeler Honda ATC 70cc motorcycle which my father customized he put on tubular steel rotatable wheelchair type armrests for support - a nice machine until I turned it over one day four years later going down a grass embankment. The bike created a lot of attention especially one day when i brought home from a local fair a 6foot tall cuddly pink panther accross the saddle - I rested it's arms on the handlebars going down the road, motorists were taking photographs and waved at me. One car bumped into the vehicle in front while watching me a couple of hundred yards down the road!! I used to take the Honda to steam engine rallies as it crossed the fields well and I was able to see all the engines wheras if i'd have gone in my electric wheelchair it would not have coped with the uneven ground - or drained the batteries completely flat. Being pushed around in a manual chair was not an option I wanted to take!! I now have to use an electric powered wheelchair to get around all the time, no where near as fun to drive - I don't even get a glance from the girls. I'm also into music and often take along my cassette walkman while going for countryside rides in the summer - so relaxing listening to Eva Cassidy.
These days I spend a great deal of my days alone; it's peaceful and at the moment I quite like it - there'll come a day when I'll have to live in a residential home which are very institutionalized so I'm enjoying my limited freedom while it lasts. Owing to my limited income I am in rented accommodation. I try to be contented with my life because there will always be persons far better off than myself, and there will be persons less well off in terms of health and financial security. My philosophy is to accept what life has to offer; never miss an opportunity to meet new friends and to be happy, for if I am lucky, each morning I will wake up to see another - hopefully enjoyable day. I try to seek out verses / poems that inspire me such as "Desiderata" or as it is better known "Child of the Universe"
Be at peace with yourself. Eat well, sleep deeply, for tomorrow comes and it's all yours ! Strive to be happy.
Thank you for visiting my website.