Archived Newsletter - Autumn 2006

Hello everyone and welcome to the autumn edition of the Devon Newsletter. I really must apologise for the lateness of this edition but I am afraid that I have been off sick with a slipped disk and as we are still a member of staff short, we have been struggling to keep things just ticking over. My thanks to Pat for all her hard work which has been above and beyond the call of duty and also to Carole for coming in to help when we have been short staffed. Our volunteer, Christine, has also been off sick and our best wishes go to her on a speedy recovery from her replacement knee operation. We have been very lucky in having the services of Jane on a temporary basis who has been helping Pat in the shop and also allowing her to have the odd day off. I am afraid that we are no closer to replacing Rod as yet but the Trustees are likely to be very busy over the coming few weeks making decisions regarding the future of the Association following receipt of the Report from our Charity Consultant. More about this in future editions.
It seems ages ago now but our Annual Arts & Crafts Show and AGM was held at the beginning of September and was a success. I, personally, was very disappointed in the number of people who turned up, where were you all?! I know it wasn’t a very nice day and there was no glass of wine on offer but you missed a good event and I am pleased to say that those of you who did come, really enjoyed yourselves. The refreshments were, once again, very good and enjoyed by all, our thanks to Sandra and her team for all their hard work. We’re really getting the hang of things now and have managed to iron out the problems encountered last year, the old saying “you learn by your mistakes” is certainly appropriate! The standard of entries in the Show was, once again, very high and the craft judges in particular commented on how good the work was, in fact one of the ladies said the standard of the knitting was higher than an event she had judged the previous week for sighted people so well done to everyone who entered. I’m sorry you couldn’t all win a trophy but many congratulations to those who did. Special congratulations to Peter Bond of Exmouth who won the trophy for the best short story, it was the first time Peter had entered so he did very well and beat off extremely strong competition. Congratulations also to Phyllis Slowly who went away with 5 trophies again this year. The group entry was won by Cullompton Club and my apologies to them for having a “senior moment” and actually announcing that it was Tiverton Club, we sorted it eventually and I can confirm that it is Cullompton who have the trophy. Thanks to Barnstaple Club for entering again this year and for actually coming second. The limerick was won by Molly Bipond of Barnstaple and here it is:-

There was a young lady called Pat Who wore a fine feathered hat She went off to town To buy a ball gown But instead bought a two bedroom flat!

Entries were high for the limericks and we really enjoyed reading them here in the office so thank you to everyone who took the trouble to write one. I understand it was quite difficult this year as the words which rhyme with Pat are all quite simple and didn’t leave a lot of scope! I must say a very big thank you to all the volunteers who helped to set up the Show, acted as judges’ stewards and manned stalls as well as the refreshment team who baked cakes, cooked meals, served them and washed up at the end. We couldn’t run a Show without the volunteers so thanks again to all of you.

The AGM was got through in record time with Brenda Barnes, MBE, our Vice President, in the Chair. There were no questions and no changes in the Constitution to be put before members so it was all very straightforward. I am pleased to say that a special resolution allowed Shirley Stevens to continue as our Chairman for a further year with Rose Hewitt as Vice Chair. Trustees were voted on en bloc with the exception of Hilda Mann who has retired. Our thanks to Hilda for all the work she has done for the Association in the past. We were pleased to welcome Steve Morgan as a new Trustee, Steve is a young chap who works for Action for Blind People and we hope having him on board will be a great asset to the Association.

The group holiday was a success, our intrepid reporters have failed to provide me with a report but I am reliably informed that it was enjoyed by all. I was really sorry to have to miss it but was forced to have two weeks bed rest and was unable to go. Luckily, I had managed to get all the trips etc. organised and thanks to the wonderful team of sighted guides for making it a success. Special thanks to Shirley who took over in my absence, to Olive and Terry who ensured everyone got on and off the coach safely and to Janet for all the work she had to do being the nurse this year. It was Janet’s first time with the group and by all accounts she was a wonderful asset and I sincerely hope she hasn’t been put off by all the work she had to do! Thanks also to Jean who came as a sighted guide for the first time. Unfortunately, Maggie had to cancel at the last minute and I am glad to report that she is much better now and we wish her well for the future. Thanks to all the sighted guides for, once again, working hard to make the holiday enjoyable.

Very shortly we are to have energy saving light bulbs here at Station House which can be given free to anyone in receipt of any of the following benefits:- Council Tax Benefit, Housing Benefit, Income Support, Income Based Job Seekers Allowance, Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance, War Disablement Pension, State Pension Credit or Working Tax Credit. If you are in receipt of any of these benefits then please contact us and we will provide you with a pack of four bulbs, 2 x 100w and 2 x 60w absolutely FREE OF CHARGE! This is a not to be missed offer and is being given to local associations from Powergen. All we have to do is keep a record of who has received them in case Ofgem want to do a check on where the bulbs have gone but I am told this is pretty unlikely. Energy saving light bulbs use 75-80% less energy than ordinary ones and replacing one traditional bulb with an energy saving one could save you around £12 per year. I am informed that if every UK household installed 3 energy saving light bulbs then enough energy would be saved in a year to supply all the street lighting in the UK! You can get 4 bulbs free of charge so please don’t miss out on this opportunity. Call in to see us and pick up your pack or give us a ring on 01392 876666 and we will see if we can send them out to you by post, not quite sure how they will be packed yet but hopefully it will be safe to send them by post. By the time you receive this I am hopeful that we will have the bulbs here.

Moving on to Club news now and Peg Jago has given me this report from EXMOUTH BLIND CLUB, she says that the Club recently had a very interesting trip to Salem Chapel at East Budleigh. The Chapel goes back to the 1700s and is one of the last remaining dissenters chapels. It was in complete ruin but the folks of East Budleigh raised £700,000 to restore it and the Club were invited to visit it. They went on their last meting date in July before their summer break. Peg says it was most interesting, Kathryn Moyle gave a talk on the history of the chapel, the middle of which was originally held up by a tree which now has steel to hold it up. It was also used as a smuggler’s hold and the old balcony at the back which has been restored was a musicians gallery and the steps were sized to accommodate the player and his instrument whatever that might have been and when it was restored the unwashed were sent up to the gallery so that the smell wouldn’t reach the grand ones who sat at the front! A wonderful tea was provided and a thoroughly happy afternoon was had by all. Thanks to Peg for this, I must confess that I had never heard of it but it sounds fascinating.

Rosemary Lamyman has sent in the following from CULLOMPTON BLIND CLUB, she says “Cullompton Blind Club has continued to enjoy an interesting series of meetings and outings. In April Richard Fox returned, this time to warn us about the affects of global warming and to make suggestions as to how these can be minimised. In May Ken Klee returned to give us more details of his twenty years work among the blind and disabled in South America. This time he concentrated on Chile which he described as the most receptive area in which he had ever worked. In June we had a visit from Tilly Trotter and her two guide dogs, Dolby and Kendal. Dolby is now retired, having been successfully operated on for cancer, and Kendal looks after Tilly now. We were told about the different personalities of these delightful animals and about the preparations for her sponsored walk along the Tarka Coastal Path. Our July speaker was Derek Macloy who told us about his experiences as a broadcaster in New South Wales. He described the perils of supervising night-time broadcasting, when fatigue and isolation tend to diminish the concentration, so that the microphone can sometimes be left on when it ought to be turned off! Our work for the DCAB Arts & Crafts Show is proceeding and various contributions are being prepared. We are particularly grateful to Jenny Gollop and Roy Jeffery for their enthusiasm in the Club Entry. Our summer outing, a trip to the Pecorama Pleasure Gardens in Beer, was really first class and our thanks go to Tom and Margaret Deeley for arranging this for us. We were impressed by the beauty, cleanliness and efficiency of the entire set up and would recommend it to anybody. If anyone would like a full length copy of this report (which I am sorry I have had to edit) then please get in touch with Graham Winterbourne on 01884 840285 and he will arrange to send it on tape.” Thanks to Rosemary for this full account.

VISION OM went to Bicton Gardens in August for a very enjoyable afternoon and were planning on going to Forde Abbey near Chard for their last trip of the summer but I haven’t received a report on this so don’t know if they went or not. I’m going up to see them later this month so am looking forward to that.

Moving on to items for sale now and one of our members has a 19” computer monitor for sale for just £15 and can be contacted on 07866370259. Mrs. Miller of Plympton, Plymouth, has an Horizon magnifier for sale, it is white on black or can be changed to black on white and fits onto an existing TV, cost £250 about a year ago but has hardly been used and she is looking for £100 or offers, please give her a ring on 01752 336572 if you are interested. Mr. Blackman has a floorstanding daylight craft flexilamp for sale for £30 and can be contacted on 01392 468291 for more details. Another flexi floor lamp for sale, this has not been used and is offered for £30 by Mrs. Patrick on 01404 814054. Jo Astle has an Optelec CCTV to sell, it is black & white and cost £500 new, it has hardly been used and she would like to sell it for £250 or offers. Please contact Jo on 07814324238 and she will give you details.

Peter Bond of Exmouth recently arranged a flag day for us in Exeter and raised the fantastic amount of £293 for us, he spent most of the day on his own sat outside the Tesco Metro and we are very grateful to him for this. Thanks also to Shirley and Betty for helping out for a couple of hours.

I make no apologies for repeating this information as we may have some new readers who don’t know about it but if you do not wish to be bothered by telephone calls from the likes of double glazing companies then why not register with the telephone preference service, it’s relatively easy to do, takes 28 days to become activated but is well worth the effort if you do not wish to be disturbed. Just ring 08450 700 707, this is an automated service. If you have registered in the past but find you are getting calls again it would be worth re-registering just to make sure you are on the current list.

The Macular Disease Society in Barnstaple are now running drop in sessions in the Barnstaple Library from 10.30am to 3.30pm on the first and third Monday of every month. They provide listening, support and information for anyone concerned about loss of central vision caused by macular degeneration. We were pleased to welcome a party from the Barnstaple MD Group here in Station House recently and they enjoyed a very pleasant lunch at The Georgian Tea Rooms before coming to us.

Well done to the Pinbusters ten pin bowling group for winning the BBS British Championship in Sheffield in May, it was the first time this has been won by a team from the South West so congratulations to all involved.

If you use the RNIB Talking Book Service you may be interested to know that they are now producing the Bible in daisy format, all the verses are numbered and it is very easy to use, thanks to Nigel Davis for this information.

One of our younger members, Adrian Sparks from Exeter, has told me recently that he has purchased a Bowes sound system and managed to get instructions on how to operate the system in Braille so you never know what you can get and it’s well worth asking. As they say, “if you don’t ask, you don’t get!”

If you live in South Devon you may be interested to know that The Flavel Centre in Dartmouth have installed audio visual equipment which can provide anyone with a visual impairment the opportunity to enjoy films in the auditorium. They provide a running audio description of what is being shown on the screen, via headphones. A series of introductory demonstrations of the equipment will take place at The Flavel Centre on Saturday, 4th November between 1-4pm or if you would like a personal demonstration then David Wright would be happy to oblige and he can be contacted via the Flavel Centre on 01803 839530. The Flavel Centre is a non profit educational charity, its aim being to inspire further exploration and understanding of the arts by offering a broad and diverse programme that excites, informs and entertains residents and visitors alike.

I know that none of us like talking about Christmas in October but I am afraid I must!! At the time of writing we have on our shelves the small yellow covered diaries which are ideal for popping into a handbag or pocket and are £4 and we have our Christmas Puddings which are excellent for popping into your tummies for £5! We also have our own Christmas cards which are just £1 or £2 for the large luxury ones and some tactile cards from the RNIB which have Braille inside as well as print. We don’t actually have the large diaries or calendars in yet but I am hopeful that they will arrive by the end of the month. I am getting them both from different suppliers this year so am confident that they will come before January which is, I am afraid, when the calendars arrived for this year. I was determined not to be caught like that again so have sourced them from elsewhere but, unfortunately, they still seem to be having a problem getting them to us but please give us a ring if you are interested in a large calendar or diary and we will send it out to you as soon as they arrive and I really do believe that they will arrive by the end of October this time!!! (fingers and toes firmly crossed!) You can always pop into the shop to collect your diary, calendar, Christmas pudding and cards – lots of Christmas shopping done all under one very pleasant roof!! Talking of Christmas shopping, we do have a very nice range of jewellery on display in our shop here at Station House, really nice colours to match any outfit, they make ideal presents, we even have some ear rings to match the pendants so come in and have a look, we could save you a trip to the High Street and all the crowds! In case you have forgotten, our shop is open 10am – 1pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. We also have a new jumbo digital radio controlled clock which has very large digital numbers and is just £16. We have the new BT digital cordless telephone which is white with black buttons and is £35. We also have the new large print scrabble which is £25 and ideal for playing with the family over Christmas. Something else we have which is relatively new is the large print su doku book which is just £3.50 and a compact mirror for just £9 which folds up nicely to be carried around but will magnify up to 10 x. This can be quite frightening first thing in the morning but is ideal for ladies who want to be able to put their make up on and touch it up whilst out. Also an ideal Christmas present, we have a large print dictionary for £13 and a large print atlas for £17. We are quite happy to put things in the post if you are too far away to visit us and our telephone number is 01392 876666.

The RNIB are really concentrating their efforts on being a campaigning charity and are arranging a lobby at Westminster Hall on Monday, 4th December from 2-5pm. This campaign highlights the unfair treatment of people with serious sight loss by the DLA system, preventing them from claiming the higher rate mobility component. This anomaly in the DLA system severely impacts on important issues such as employment, voluntary work, leisure activities, shopping, accessing health care and on aspects of parenting. They are hoping that people from all over the country will go to London to lobby their MP about this mobility component of DLA. MPs will be asked to listen to concerns, support the amendments and work to ensure that the DLA mobility component is changed to meet the needs of their constituents with severe sight loss. They are also hoping that many visually impaired people will have written to their MPs to raise the issue, to seek their support for an Early Day Motion that is being tabled on 16 November and to request a meting with their MP at the Lobby on 4 December. If you are unable to attend the Lobby then you are being encouraged to seek a meeting with your MP at a Constituency Surgery. The Lobby has been called by RNIB, Action for Blind People, Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, the National Federation of the Blind, the National Association of Local Societies for the Visually Impaired and the National League of Blind and Disabled. All of these organisations believe the current exclusion of people with serious sight loss from the higher rate mobility component is a major injustice. The RNIB do have a campaign pack available and if you are interested you can obtain one by ringing 020 7391 2123. They will also be able to give you more details about the actual Lobby Day.

Does the imminent arrival of winter leave you with a shiver – not from the cold but more from the prospect of not being able to go out of the house as much as you’d like, if at all? You are not alone. Many people, particularly older people with sight loss, find that their lives change dramatically during the winter months as it gets more difficult to get around. As a result there are often not as many opportunities to socialise with other people. All may not be lost as RNIB Talk & Support are inviting people with sight loss to join their Tele Befriending groups during the winter months. The Tele Befriending groups run for an hour each week all from the comfort of people’s home. The small telephone groups are an informal and friendly place. People have the opportunity to chat about anything and everything while getting to know each other. The first four sessions are free, after which there will be a small subscription of £2 per week. If you or someone you know could benefit from joining a Tele Befriending group, give the RNIB Talk & Support team a call on 0845 330 3723.

Whilst I have been typing this the large print calendars have arrived so I can now say with a clear conscience that we have them here NOW!! They are £3, which is, in fact, a pound cheaper than last year so don’t delay get yours now!

I expect you have already heard this but, unfortunately, digital television is inevitable. Sooner or later we will all have to convert our existing televisions to digital if we want to continue watching television. So what are the benefits of digital television? As well as better sound and picture quality and more radio and TV channels to choose from, the main benefit for people with a visual impairment is audio description. Audio description is available on the following digital TV services, Sky, Freeview and NTL Telewest. Please don’t worry about your radio as, although digital radios are available, there are no plans at present to stop analogue radio broadcasts. Audio description on TV is available from Freeview via the Netgem I-Player digibox, costing £99.95 plus delivery, available only from Netgem and their telephone number is 0800 015 3092. Sky – you can either subscribe monthly or pay a one off fee, contact Sky’s Accessibility Helpline on 08705 66 3333 for more details. Cable – Telewest and NTL both offer audio description on a limited basis. These cable providers are gradually introducing the service channel by channel and this process should be complete by 2007. For more information contact Telewest on 0845 142 0220 or NTL on 0800 052 2000.

Joan Holmes of Torbay wrote in to tell us that she got married in 1942 on 17th February and when she arrived at the Church the Vicar was not there, one of the guests had to rush around and look for him, he came in saying that he had a bad cold and still had his slippers on! There was no music as it was war time and it was trying to snow so she thought these things were a bad omen but they actually had 43 years together so were able to count their blessings. Joan said that she started to write her life story and wonders if there is anyone out there who would like to give her a hand, she will be 86 this year and the book makes interesting reading, she is wondering about getting it printed so does anyone have any advice for her about this please?

Running out of space now so it remains for me to say enjoy what is left of autumn and please remember we are here to help you in any way we can so don’t hesitate to get in touch if you think there is anything we can help you with. We are the local charity for people with a visual impairment, we are NOT the RNIB, Guide Dogs, Social Services or Action for Blind People. Give us a ring on 01392 876666. Carole is still at Optima in Totnes on a Tuesday and Wednesday and would be happy to see anyone there from 9am – 4pm, she has a comprehensive range of equipment on display there.
Regards Sue, Pat & Carole

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