Eddie Peacock

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?

BY 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 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,

Peacock

they were the most important people in the family group.

On the other hand, if he was serving an Asian family it was the grandma or grandpa who ranked the highest and were completely revered. He would obligingly make them the centre of his attentions. This perfect example of astute and thoughtful capitalism made us think about our society here in the UK. Are our senior citizens at the heart and soul of the family unit to the same degree as many third world countries?

We were not sure at the time, but this pandemic has revealed a heart-warming truth. It has certainly helped us all understand and focus on the most important issues. Cuddling grandma is a precious gift. It is a short ramble from grandma to think of all the old folk who have behaved impeccably throughout this demanding year. I reckon they deserve a special mention. Please imagine a roll of the drums and a loud fanfare.

There are plenty of oldies who like a good ramble and my personal “Rambler of the Year” award goes to “Captain Tom” now Sir Thomas Moore, who showed us all the way to go by tramping around his garden. His mighty efforts not only raised a small fortune but, just as relevant, the spirits of the whole country!

This year I have been privileged to work on a project for a well- known manufacturer of walking aids. The experience has been enlightening. The design and build process of rollators is complex. The regulations and quality control measures that have to be met are very demanding. The manufacturing process itself is surprisingly intricate. These are after all, to the layman, just rather smart Zimmer frames.

By the way these walkers were not invented by a bloke called Zimmer. A fellow called Norman Metcalf is given that honour and his invention was subsequently used and patented by Zimmer Holdings around 1950. Please excuse that particular ramble but I can`t help myself!

When I look “on-line” at the huge array of these products I am immediately reminded of the responsibility of supplying them to the general public. Angela, a lovely lady near Norwich called us as she wanted to buy a walker for her frail and lively 90 year old friend Isobel. She wisely asked for the name of a retailer who stocked these items and I duly gave her an appropriate name and address. I was told later that Isobel was no pushover. She studied and tested a whole array of their wares. It still took a second inspection visit before she decided on a top of the range rollator having seen for herself the difference in design, quality and robustness of everything available. She conducted a slow and sensible ramble through all of the items on offer before making her decision.

With so much shopping happening these days “online”, it reminded me that despite the restrictions of the coronavirus, certain products should be purchased carefully with the help of someone who knows about the products and is trained to understand the particular needs of his customers.

So, finally, let me tell you about the bifocal chap…. It was Benjamin Franklin, quite a man was Ben! Quite apart from the feats he achieved that I mentioned earlier, think of the invaluable help his enterprise has given millions through the gift of improved sight. Just consider that his invention has probably helped hundreds of us read the take-away pizza menus during corona time.

You may be asking what bifocal spectacles have to do with rambling but that’s just the point! No logical or rational connection. Have fun everyone.

To contact Eddie send an email to eddiepeacock@btinternet.com or write to him at Ability Needs, 7 Montgomerie Terrace, Ayr, KA7 1JL

in the UK. In recent years he held the post of Marketing Manager for Mobility which also involved supporting and working with the BHTA.

He has now retired and is looking forward to finding the time to perform useful tasks in the industry, playing drums in a blues band, travelling and most important, being silly with his grandchildren.

LOOKING FOR PARTNER, INVESTOR or MOBILITY COMPANY/MANUFACTURER

Hello, my name is Andrew Huntley.

I have recently designed a product that I feel would greatly improve the independence of power chair/electric wheelchair users who suffer from disabling hand conditions.

Prior to commencing my project I had a worldwide patent search undertaken by my patent solicitor which returned no match.

In early September I was informed by my patent solicitor that the UKIPO had completed their own worldwide patent search which also returned no match so at this stage I am very confident that a patent will be granted.

I am therefore looking for a sole partner, investor or mobility company/manufacturer to help bring my Idea to the disabled community.

If you are interested I would very much like to introduce my idea to you in the way of a professionally designed prototype with visualisation boards and would welcome the opportunity to meet with you and discuss further.

• NO MORE STRUGGLING TO REMOVE GLOVES/MITTENS TO RETRIEVE MONEY/KEYS etc • NO PA/CARER ASSISTANCE NEEDED • YOUR INDEPENDENCE TO TRAVEL ALONE RESTORED

( a simple one page non-disclosure paper to be signed prior to our meeting)

Please feel free to contact me via email andysigbuy@aol.co.uk or Tel 07726623671

The road to Rio is a silent one

AS MANY SPORTING grounds are now able to open their doors to a number of fans, sports stars are celebrating the positive impact and atmosphere that crowd support brings to their performance. However, for Deaf athletes, one year away from Deaflympics 2021 in Brazil, the sound of silence is something they always face when competing.

In London 2012 during Super Saturday, Team GB Olympians celebrated the ‘wall of sound’ that reverberated around the Olympic Stadium cheering athletes to achieve memorable golden feats. And during the pandemic, football clubs piped pre-recorded fan cheers into these empty stadiums to avoid the sterile atmosphere and lack of energy that were the result of empty stands.

For the 11 million Deaf people in the UK, silence is an ongoing challenge. So how do Deaf athletes draw on external stimuli to perform at their best? Visual stimuli work, whether that’s flag waving or visual hand cheering from the fans instead of applause. Alternatively, stamping feet or knocking on barriers can create vibrations that are strong enough to be felt by those more in tune with their nonhearing senses. The lack of sound can mean fewer distractions and a more internal focus, which Deaf athletes have naturally adapted to.

UK Deaf Sport is the leading organisation responsible for supporting and encouraging more Deaf people to participate in sport and physical activity which includes the management of the DeaflympicsGB team. Past Sport England’s Active Lives Surveys have indicated that just 10% of Deaf adults participate in sport, considerably lower than the national average of 63% reported by Sport England in April 2020. As a result of COVID this is likely to have worsened as face mask wearing makes lip-reading and communication even more difficult, leading to increased feelings of isolation.

Like the Olympics and Paralympics, the Deaflympics takes place every four years and is the opportunity for Deaf athletes to perform on the world stage. The next Deaflympics takes place in Rio from 5–21 December 2021 and UK Deaf Sport hopes to be able to field a DeaflympicsGB team, if they can raise the funds needed.

DeaflympicsGB Tennis athlete Esah Hayat said, When I compete as a Deaf athlete I’ve never heard the ‘wall of sound’ support that many sportspeople say helps them to perform at their peak. However, I can feel the vibrations of foot stamping or see the flags waving, so they give me a positive psychological boost. After the challenges of 2020, it would be fantastic to represent DeaflympicsGB in Brazil and inspire more Deaf people to play and compete in sport’.

Valerie Copenhagen, Executive Director of UK Deaf Sport, said: “Before the pandemic, we knew that only 10% of Deaf people participated in sport. We expect this to have fallen further this year because of the continued challenges around lip-reading when face masks are worn and the increased sense of isolation felt. The Deaflympics is the pinnacle of deaf sport and helps support and inspire Deaf people to become part of a healthy and active society. But we need help to raise the funds to get DeaflympicsGB to Brazil in 2021 and transform the lives of Deaf people through sport.”

Unlike their counterparts, DeaflympicsGB does not receive government funding for competing at the Deaflympics and will only be able to participate if enough money can be raised to help the team with flights, accommodation, kit and support staff. If you are able to, please donate to the UK Deaf Sport JustGiving page at www.justgiving.com/ukds or contact roadtobrazil@ukds.org.uk to explore sponsorship opportunities. Your support will help transform the lives of the Deaf people who currently don’t participate in sport.