From Wheelchair to Windsurfer – Peter Parker
Peter told us about what happened to him in 1987, at 44 years of age, when he had a stroke which was not diagnosed for 12 days, even though he contacted his GP, went to A&E, and was sent to a General Ward at Broomfield. He recovered when he was sent home having only had a week of therapy, using his own initiative, adapting the exercises physiotherapy had given him, brain training to increase concentration, and jogging to give physical exercise. Patients suffer tiredness, and he still does, and often depression is another factor to be taken into consideration. He persevered and was able to windsurf across the Channel in 1989, windsurfing being one of his targets when he was so ill.
Things have changed since then with a £12m campaign starting in 2009. If you have symptoms like those covered in F A S T – Face, Arm, Speech, Time – call 999 – strokes which are treated early give a much better chance of recovery. 1 in 6 people will have a stroke in their lifetime with a quarter of them in the under 65’s of which one third will live, one third will have some form of disability and one third will die. Peter has publicised and raised money for the Stroke Association ever since.
Refreshments were available, as well as leaflets about Stroke Awareness, and there was the opportunity to ask questions and obtain more information from our speaker.
PAWS next get-together is on 24th June when D. Clarke will speak about “A Garden Holiday Experience”. Currently membership is full but visitors are very welcome at the cost of £3.50 which includes refreshments.
Details of all our meetings and speakers can be found on the diary of the home page of the Winstred 100 website. If you would like further information about PAWS please ring one of the following committee members: Alice Holmes 01206 735510, Jane Banks 01206 735004 or Jane Anderson 01206 735505.
Attractions include:
Main show schedules soon to be available from:<
Photography Days
Volunteers are being invited to join Essex Wildlife Trust planting new hedgerows and woodland areas every Saturday from now until the end of March between 10:00 and 15:00. NO experience is necessary and groups are welcomed.
There was no meeting in December but instead on Tuesday 10th December 42 members met at the Coast Inn, West Mersea for the PAWS Christmas dinner, which certainly was a lovely way to set off the Christmas festivities. The restaurant was decorated for Christmas and very welcoming. Between eating our three course meal, we had a Christmas quiz and a raffle, which everyone enjoyed, in fact, they all agreed that it had been a fantastic evening. Going home was a little slow as there was very thick fog but thankfully we all did so safely.
Our November speaker was David Ryan, who from an early age, had always had a passion for cooking. He started out at the age of 16 with Brian Turner at the Connaught Hotel in London. As an apprentice he spent 18 months preparing potatoes! In the early seventies he decided his destiny was France. He was lucky, he shared a flat with a French friend who managed to secure him an entry into the Carlton Hotel in Cannes. After spending weeks labouring for long hours with no pay he was in a state of despair. One day he was walking along the Promenade Anglais worrying about his future when someone tapped him on the shoulder. It turned out to be David Niven who came to his rescue, marched him back to the Carlton and sorted out his predicament with the Manager and the Chef. The Chef took him under his wing and two brilliant years followed.
David Vroobel was our speaker in October and he told us how he started his career as a diamond cutter and polisher in Hatton Garden. He went on to design and set jewellery for some years, finally having a shop with his wife. However after two armed robberies they decided to give up the shop and David set up a workshop at home, selling stones that he had cut and polished in his workshop, to retailers. He now spends his time giving talks to groups and on cruise ships.