AN_p24_p25_eddiepea_40+44_AN107_Long.QXD 30/12/2020 18:56 Page 1
Eddie Ramblings HERE IS A QUESTION FOR YOU: Do you know who invented bifocal glasses? Did you know that the same chap also invented the lightning conductor? Y THE WAY, he was also once the US Ambassador in France and a newspaper editor (but not at the same time.) Oh, and he also campaigned against slavery. There have been many incredibly diligent, gifted people throughout history and this fellow is definitely one of them. So, who is he? Let me tease you for a moment and mention a very satisfying BBC radio programme called “Ramblings” and if you have not tuned in, I can recommend it. The concept is simple. Clare Balding, herself a versatile lady, goes for walks along various highways, byways, clifftops and footpaths with either a celebrity or local rambler and they discuss the varied scenery, and often history, of the places they encounter. This supports the theory that rambling can be both therapeutic and pleasurable. My trusty dictionary defines rambling as “walking for pleasure” and/or “speaking without logical or rational connection”. I am pretty keen on both varieties but today, please prepare for a few moments without much logical or rational connection. In my many years working in the mobility industry it has become apparent that rambling and independence are closely linked. Illness, accidents and other misfortunes can rob a person of both. A simple trip to the corner shop provides an opportunity to stop and chat with neighbours, enjoy a sunny day or even struggle with the wind and rain. Even domestic chores can be become a ramble, especially if you bump into Kevin, who loves to hold forth on any event, however ancient or modern. He is still peeved
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with Margaret Thatcher. Kevin, by the way, once in full flow, is impervious to the effects of cold, wind or rain. You must have a Kevin of your own? The point is that despite Kevin, mobility and independence are extremely important for body and soul. There is a line in a song by Joni Mitchell “you don`t know what you`ve got till it`s gone”. So perhaps we should all try a little more rambling while we can? One unexpected benefit of the wretched coronavirus has been how thousands of people have taken to walking more. Perhaps there is more to this rambling than just exercise? It certainly gives us all more time to think and take stock of our lives. A few years back my wife and I had one of those trips of a lifetime. Having spent some time rambling around New York we travelled back home aboard the magnificent Queen Mary. As is the way with these sort of trips, we enjoyed the services of the same “personal” waiter for all our meals. His name was Manuel (!) but he did not come from Barcelona. In fact, his birthplace was Ecuador. He worked for three months at a time dishing up the impressive array of excellent food and was then rewarded with a month at home with his family. He had 3 children and, thanks to his dedication, they all lived a pretty comfortable lifestyle, well above that of their friends and contemporaries. We got to know him quite well during the trip and he shared with us an interesting insight on his customers. During the busy holiday season he had formulated the best way to elicit the biggest tips. When serving an American family, the children were the focus of everyone`s attention. He had worked out that he should make a great fuss of the little ones as
Eddie Peacock has worked in the mobility industry for “rather a long time”. He enjoyed a challenging career having started by selling wheelchairs, scooters and stairlifts for Sunrise Medical, eventually working his way to the position of UK sales manager. After a period as a self-employed consultant he was invited to manage movingpeople.net, now Handicare Ltd, Ability Needs Magazine
