Chesham Evening Townswomen's Guild

Pauline then introduced Mrs Val Williamson whose talk, entitled 'My life in a wheelchair', produced many a laugh.

Val has been disabled from birth, having been born at 24 weeks, pronounced dead (which her loud screams soon disproved) and then given a week to live. Well, she certainly disproved that! The instruments used at her birth had damaged her hip and the part of the brain which controls the motor nerves, leaving her unable to walk.

Fortunately for Val, her parents were determined to give her as normal a life as possible after many months in hospital. She went to a normal school, passed the scholarship and went to the local grammar school. Bitterly disappointed to learn that her ambition to become a surgeon was not to be, she could see no purpose to her life; but her vicar persuaded her otherwise and today she speaks and works tirelessly for all disabled people.

Val's parents taught her to be totally independent, and in due time she met and married her husband, Bernie, who also used a wheelchair, at a time when such a marriage was regarded as extraordinary. Together they set up a sports, art and amateur dramatics club for disabled people. By then Val had taken up archery. She competed and won medals at the Olympic Games in 1980, and has several other medals from national events.

Bernie husband died in 1986 but Val is still an enthusiastic and skilled archer. She also works for Age Concern as an insurance adviser.

She feels she is lucky in that, having never been able to walk, she knows no other way of life.

She does come up against bureaucracy and officialdom but is well able to deal with such trials; she also finds that occasionally she is either treated as if she cannot speak for herself or is a bit simple, but on the whole most people treat her as normal, which she certainly is.

Val says she has no regrets in life, and in her vote of thanks Greta Thorne thanked her for such an entertaining and inspiring talk.

After the break the regular business proceeded.

The art and craft group would have a table at the August meeting, selling items in aid of the St Francis Hospice. Greta also reported on the recent ramble from the Crown pub in Penn. This time the weather was fine and sunny, and seven people and one dog enjoyed a very pleasant walk. One notable feature was that the main crop in every field they crossed seemed to be broad beans.

Greta and Pat Jeffrey had attended an afternoon of Scottish dancing held by the federation in Bourne End village hall, and had found it most enjoyable.

Before closing the meeting, Pauline wished Pat Jeffrey well on her visit to Torquay as the guild's representative at the AGM, and said everyone looked forward to hearing Pat's report.

The raffle prizes were won by Lilian Ferguson, Enid Wright and Pat Boothby.