Autumn 2013 Priceless

Age Related Deafness

Hearings Dogs for the

Deaf

Parenting my Deaf

daughter

The Punk Chef,

Comedian John Smith

& Sean Midnight

Celebrating

Deaf Life

BSL Version Now Available Online! Visit

Twitter 3

Hello,

Autumn’13

Contents & Editor’s Letter

Page

Lifestyle . . . . . . 4-13

Fashion. . . . . . . 14-19

Entertainment

& Arts. . . . . . . . 22-29

Technology

& Science . . . . . 30-35

Community . . . . . 36-53

Sport . . . . . . . . 54-73

Regional Public

Service Ads . . . . 74-79

ContributorsLinda Day & Tessa Padden Signworld

Pam Fletcher & Gemma Sills Gloucester Deaf Centre & Assoc.

Kate Evans Photography Front cover and 4 Nations photos

Sean Midnight UK Deaf Wrestler

Magazine Designed by Little Birdie Studio

Contact SL FirstEmail:

Telephone: 07944 160766

Mobile: 07786 704223

Text (SMS): 077 8670 4223Please remember to include your name

and organisation in the text.

Address: Tredomen Business

& Technology Centre

Ystrad Mynach, Caerphilly, CF82 7FN

Sarah LawrenceEditor SL First

I hope you have all enjoyed a great Summer. After a slow

start weather wise, we did have a wonderful, if somewhat

of that.

The Summer has also been busy, and I am delighted to

bring you the result of those endeavours with the new

Autumn Magazine. Following the successful transition to a

national publication in the Spring, we have been inundated

with requests to run stories and we are already hard at

lots of new and interesting stories.

In a busy year of sport you can read about the 4 Nations

Bath Races and Castle Combe Racing Circuit to see how

deaf friendly those activities are.

interviews with Sean Midnight, our Deaf wrestler, and John

everyone who continues to support us.

SarahSL First editor

SL First 4

there are brilliant ingredients that are at

2x Butternut squash (small ones)

Sprig Thyme

50g Mascarpone

50g Parmesan

500g Vegetable stock

LARDER: Risotto rice, Onion, butter, salt and

pepper, olive oil

MethodCut half of the 2 butternut squash and

scoop

squash for later.

half butternut squash, as once it starts to

risotto, add the butter in a saucepan, add

chopped onion and sweat till soft. Add the

coat every grain of rice, as that is what gives

it creaminess.

risotto requires patience and care. Keep

repeating ladle and stirring until it becomes

creamy and the grain is slightly puffed up,

then add the mashed butternut squash into

the risotto and stir well.

Add a dollop of mascarpone to the risotto

parmesan cheese, stir till it is mixed

together. Season if needed with salt and

pepper to your taste.

Put a littler butter and oil in a fry pan and

add butternut squash cubes, fry till soft and

crispy then season with salt and pepper and

burn the thyme, so add that in the end to

the oven. Use the hallow scope and add

the cubes on the top and garnish with

watercress. Serve with garlic bread.

by Scott Garthwaite

Punk Chef

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Lottery Fund AdvantAGE programme,

Action on Hearing Loss Cymru is

helping to combat some of the issues

experienced with age-related hearing

loss through Hear to Meet, a social and

support service aimed at people over 50

with a hearing loss.

Established in close partnership with

Audiology and Social Services, 13 Hear to

Meet groups already meet monthly across

hearing loss the opportunity to meet with

their peers and access both friendships

and support within their local community.

demonstrations of equipment and

technology, taster sessions, such as in

lip-reading and many other activities.

Bangor commented, “I love coming to

to have a chat and have something to do

instead of just watching TV.

about hearing aids and hearing loss than

that.”

currently meet monthly in Llanidloes,

Llangefni, Porthmadog, Mold, Newtown

Barry, Morriston, Swansea, Monmouth

Margam and Caerphilly. Run with the

help of volunteers, the groups are already

proving to be a very positive social and

planned.

go to get more understanding of what it

www.

‘Hear to Meet’ social and support groups for those over 50 with a

hearing loss.

Action on hearing loss

SL First 6

go, Russell the owner was thoughtful and

made us feel welcome. The fact he could

use BSL to communicate with us was a

person feel welcome and relaxed, as well

as providing good food and coffee.”

Pinnocks - A Delightful Deaf

Friendly Coffee House

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The big chains could learn a lot from the

genuine warmth that greeted us.

the same as everyone else, with the

exception that BSL was the means to

communicate. No fuss, just seamless, as

though it was an every day occurrence,

and certainly nothing to get excited

about.

I instantly felt relaxed and welcome,

whereas in some of the bigger chains I

have been treated as though I had horns

growing out of my head, and made to

was excellent, but the rest of the café

experience did not disappoint either.

The freshly made food was excellent,

presented well and it was delicious.

The coffee was probably the best I

have ever tasted, and I established that

Russell had a passion for coffee, and

that passion permeates into the running

of the business. “All of our food is made

fresh on the premises daily,” explained

Russell, “and we roast our eight different

organic coffees every couple of days

are passionate about what we produce

for each customer.” The following day

I returned and tried out one of the

disappoint at all.

and very nice, and it was no surprise to

see a group of 8 Deaf people sit down

for a coffee and a pastry too. Attitudes

count for a lot, and in this lovely coffee

house, it counted for better business for

the owners and a pleasurable experience

for the customers.

on my doorstep. If it was, I imagine

I may pop in every day, much to the

detriment of my weight loss intentions.

is described as an area resembling a

having my team meetings there.

SL First 8

cards, the difference between getting

the right deal or the wrong deal, could

be costing you hundreds and even

thousands of pounds every year.

seen interest rates held at historic lows

for a prolonged period of time. For the

majority of us, this has seen our monthly

mortgage payment go down, but how

to shop around, to see whether an even

better deal is available.

were in turmoil, and their level of lending

existent.

However, with a full recovery now

up and there are savings to be made. The

mortgage and whilst no-one can predict

rates might start to rise, you may be

allowing money to pour away if you have

better deal out there, to the one you have

now.

If you currently have a mortgage with

an interest rate above 3.5%, it might be

see if you can get a better deal, regardless

of the type of mortgage you prefer, there

are some fantastic deals out there.

and with many sites offering a mortgage

repayment calculator, you will see

instantly how much money you could be

If you hold debt on a credit card, then

you pay, multiply by 12 or even 18, and

then compare it against 0% interest

offered on that transfer amount by some

a transfer fee, but the chances are, that

at the end of the 12 or 18-month interest

will have helped you reduce your level of

debt, so the savings continue even after

that period, especially if you swap to a

new 0% offer.

In relation to mortgages and credit cards,

one thing is for sure, standing still and

staying with the same provider, will cost

you money in the long run, and in respect

of credit cards and mortgages that could

SL First Money Saving Tips

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Install a water butt for watering gardens

the run off from conservatories, sheds,

garages and outhouses as well as being

Especially good if you are on a water

meter, but it also helps during hosepipe

bans. You can now get jet washers that

Defrost your freezer as often as possible

cold air and as soon you open the door

this will escape and your freezer will use

more power to cool the air down again,

whereas the frozen food in a full freezer

will help to maintain a cold temperature

as it will not instantly defrost.

adds up and other countries are doing

of re-useable bags available, from net to

recycled juice cartons, or you can use

biodegradable bags.

Unwanted clothes? Donate them to a

charity shop rather than throwing them

away. Better still you can now sell them

– there are plenty of businesses that will

odds for your utilities, with so many

There are plenty of comparison sites

online, but these do not always list all

the small independent companies, so

the best deal – visit my website for more

information.

Ecoways Money Saving Tips

SL First 10

by Heather

Thomas

The Wonderful

Kingdom of

Thailand

having the longest name of a place.

Burirom Udomratchaniwet Mahasathan

were so excited about staying there

the most amazing views. It is no wonder

they chose this location to shoot parts of

great view of the vastness of the city.

ordered a “Hangovertini” at the Sirocco

in the spacious roof top bar with a warm

but slightly humid crispy breeze with a

holding onto the rail for grim death with

cast and crew of Hangover II as the movie

was shot extensively at the bars and

restaurants of the Lebua at State Tower.

Lebua, Sirocco bar

is one thing Thailand will not disappoint,

restaurants to colourful street food

stalls, Thailand offers a unique culinary

adventure for all types of travellers. You

that goes with just about anything, but

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on a warm summer night?

there are 72 provinces alone, which

meant that some of the attractions we

is, so I recommend a 3 to 5 day stay if

as the Death Railway) which became

famous all over the world, when it was

surrounding mountains and valleys were

roads are designed for two million people,

when there are ten million people living in

hour ferry to the middle of nowhere - the

Phi Phi Islands.

This has to be one of the most beautiful

places on the planet. If you want peace,

tranquillity or simply some me time, this is

the place to be.

The Phi Phi Islands have no motorised

transport so when we got off the ferry we

were greeted by a guy from the hotel with

luggage to our hotel room. This instantly

put us in touch with the intimate nature of

the highlights of our stay on the Islands,

with lively nightlife and fresh seafood

restaurants at the front of the beach.

aggressive, especially when food was

concerned.

There was a mini stall on the beach where

they sell bananas for tourists to feed

getting bitten as she was teasing the

SL First 12

beach. Arguably, Maya Bay is Phi

the location for the movie, The Beach,

starring Leonardo DiCaprio in 1998. The

several venues on the island, including

Hippies bar at the beach where there

were friendly staff and one of them

the beach at the bar watching the sun

rise, with crystal clear waters and birds

Reggae Bar and bumped into Julia, an

American deaf tourist travelling alone, so

we invited her to hang out with us. The

long. They had a Muay Thai boxing ring in

the middle of the bar that allowed anyone

to get in the ring with someone to earn

Most people in the bar could barely

stop themselves from falling over,

were contemplating getting in the ring

ourselves for what we had considered “a

after watching endless people regret

Julia told us about a Deaf man who

made sure it was on our to-do-list to visit

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UK. It was awesome that the deaf world

and he offered to show us the nightlife

near his restaurant. There were so many

lady-boys around which caught our

Tammy interviewed him for BB Deaf

News about his livelihood and the video

can be found on her “BB Deaf News” fan

There are plenty of things to do in

Thailand, which means we were spoilt for

choice, but we did not have time for it all.

doing the day trip on the boat tour to the

James Bond Island.

canoeing and had a fresh coconut to

Village) where I tried a prawn for the

Island, which is famous from the 1974

James Bond movie, ‘The Man with the

and Christopher Lee. It was the scenic

into a Bond favourite, and it also turned

Bay into a major tourist attraction for

Thailand.

Cambodia a few years earlier but had

to be postponed due to the Vietnam

happened, it might have been an island

from the millions of pounds in extra

food, the weather, the people, the

the world travelling in late

SL First 14

Twitter 15

SL First 16

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by Charlotte Lawrence

Autumn Fashion

SL First 20

Deaf and Hard of Hearing people tend to

be frequent users of the various Health

Services, and yet despite the provision

provision of an interpreter, good lines of

communication, advice or information,

the primary and secondary health care

services too often fail to meet the needs

of deaf people.

change. Following a lengthy consultation

process, and the development of

have been given a wonderful opportunity

to lead the way in the provision of

thoughtful and appropriate services

towards people with sensory loss.

Health Boards have been provided with

Standards for Accessible Communication

and Information for People with Sensory

to:

”

.”

this simply means that people with

sensory loss should be given information

healthcare services, communication

needs should be established, and those

requirements should be met. If health

care services live up to these standards,

the improvements could represent a step

change in delivery of service standards.

the various standards, it is recommended

that:

All frequently used information

patients and the public should be

for

Public and patient areas should be

assessed to

People with sensory loss should

register with a new GP or primary

Arrangements should also be made

to gather this information for existing

It is important that staff are patient

and sensitive in their approach in

Improved Communication

Standards from Healthcare Services

Twitter 21

communication and information

computer or paper record should

enable practice staff to

when they

Good signage is important in

ensuring that people with sensory

loss are able to access the healthcare

It is important to recognise that

s. It is

environment is accessible and that it

encourages effective communication.

This should include lighting, colour

primary care for treatment in

secondary care, their

. Patients should

they have a sensory loss and the

People with sensory loss should

be able to

methods as a telephone based

appointment system may be

inaccessible to them. This would

include email, text messaging,

All appropriate staff should be trained

in any communication systems

provided by the health board. This

should include developing their

awareness of the need for different

loss

a person centred approach which

encourages staff to use clear speech

and respond appropriately to

individual needs. This is particularly

important for clinical staff as patients

need to understand what is being

communicated to them when they

Every patient or service user who

requires communication support

should have this need met, by for

example, arranging a British Sign

or providing a hearing loop

. It is important

to have an awareness of other

communication methods that may

should also be provided to

people with sensory loss who may

be attending an appointment in the

capacity of a carer or as the parent of

Healthcare professionals have a

patients with sensory loss leave the

healthcare setting having heard and

understood everything they need to

Appropriate procedures should be

in place to ensure that information is

conveyed clearly to patients during a

consultation.

SL First 22

As a theatre goer, I have often enjoyed

watching theatrical performances in

you may wonder how I have access to the

full performance.

For a good while, Deaf and Hard of

Hearing people have enjoyed having

a choice of going to see either an

interpreted or a captioned performance.

Both offer a very different experience for

Deaf and Hard of Hearing people. Sadly,

the availability of captioned and signed

performances seems to be changing.

Increasingly, I have noticed that having

a choice is no longer an option for many

Deaf and Hard of Hearing people because

more theatres are turning exclusively to

captions.

It seems that the primary factor behind

this trend is cost. Many theatres in the

UK are experiencing cuts in their revenue

with less people going to the theatre.

Consequently, there is less money to

go around and that is bound to have an

impact. Pleasingly, many theatres remain

committed to ensuring that Deaf and Hard

of Hearing people can enjoy a wide range

of performances through captioning,

but the reduced income does seem to

have had an impact on Deaf British Sign

Language users, many of whom would

prefer to watch performances interpreted

constraints, it is important for theatre

management companies to understand

that this is not simply an issue of being

audience. An interpreted performance

will translate the English text into British

Sign Language, including all of the hidden

happen on and off stage. Consequently,

interpreting a theatre performance is

a very demanding assignment for an

all of the dialogue, using their body

language to show the character and how

they behave.

Using an experienced BSL interpreter,

translation of the play, adding to the

by Jeff Bratton-Wilson

Signed and

Captioned

Performance

at the Theatre

Captioned performance of Hansel and Gretel,

Northern Stage. Photo: Linda Borthwick

BSL signed performance of Avenue Q,

Norwich Theatre

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own conclusions and meaning form the

show. Some people prefer to observe a

usually means accessing the performance

in its original language. The most

important issue is that the audience

should have the choice.

This would be the same if the

Sign Language and the hearing audience

are listening to the translation from British

Sign Language to English. It is possible

that they might lose out on some of their

own interpretation.

Captioned performances offer Deaf

and Hard of Hearing people access to

performances via written English. This

includes any music and on and off stage

and allows an audience to come up

to what is happening with any hidden

However, as with BSL translation,

captioned performances are not for

everyone. Those who attend this type

and comfortable with accessing the

performance via written English.

performances need to be comfortable

accessing the whole performance in

British Sign Language.

now denying people the ability to choose

between a captioned or interpreted

performance. Even worse, it has been

my experience that some theatres are

allowing interpreters/caption operators to

choose which performances they want

any choice about which performance they

want to attend.

I wonder whether theatres could

performances they offer in one format

only and concentrate more on the

availability of Deaf and Hard of Hearing

people having the choice about which

format they would prefer. Even better,

perhaps they could consult with the Deaf

and Hard of Hearing community about

people, and whether captions or signed

performances are being shown. Currently,

information. For Deaf or Hard of Hearing

people who are not yet regular theatre

goers, they might be blissfully unaware that

a really enjoyable family activity is in their

neighbourhood, and has been tailored to

their communication needs.

Captioned performance of The Wizard of Oz, The

Lowry. Photo: Ben Blackall

Captioned performance of Aladdin, The Wok ‘n’ Roll

Panto, New Wolsey, Ipswich

SL First 24

Events around the UK

What’s On

Friday 27th September,

10am – 4pm, Southampton

Guildhall. Evening event will

more information please

Sign Gigs Live

Arches 31 & 32 Bristol

Mews, Lower Station

Approach Road, Temple

Meads, Bristol BS1

6QF – BSL & Interpreted

Performances – Saturday

September 28th 2013

Sunday 15th Sept 11 -4pm.

Sunderton, Risborough,

9NS – more info events@

Midlands, DY1 4QF. BSL

Sat 21st September

Sat 7th September – www.

The Village Hotel,

Swansea, SA1 8QY.

2.30 – 5.30pm Sat 2nd

November 2013

Deaf Village Ireland

gmail.com

John Smith -

gemma_sills@glosdeaf.

Romford – 30th November

Open Championship

Saturday 21st September

Billingham, Cleveland,

TS22 5QJ

2013 at 11.00am. Forth

Valley Sensory Centre,

or fax 0141 248 2479

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SL First 26

Vibrant and animated throughout, John was born in Newcastle but brought up in

is not trying to be. In amongst my own

a few questions, and occasionally, I even

fair to say he has achieved in spite of his education, not because of it.

John went to the Ewing School for

the Deaf, and despite being what he

describes as, “completely and utterly

stone Deaf”, John was taught orally, and

lot of what the teacher was saying, and

as such missed a lot of education. John

recalls one particular day seeing a class

of children using BSL. He remembers

told that the BSL class was for children

not as intelligent as him. Naively, John

accepted what his teacher told him and

people about being let down by their

education. He feels that a lot of Deaf

people just seem grateful for what

much about what might have been had

they enjoyed better schooling. John is

passionate about Deaf people being given

the opportunity to do their best in life, and

often uses his act to highlight important

Despite being born with a natural whit,

potential of becoming a comedian.

whenever someone suggested he should

by Sarah Lawrence

John Smith

Deaf and

hilariously

funny!

Twitter 27

in the limelight. Nowadays, the bigger

the audience the better, and a mere eight

has performed on stages in America,

France and Ireland as well as throughout

SL First predicts there are a lot more

international performances to come.

and understanding of English that restricts

him. As one of the founders of the ‘Spit

that he misses some of the nuances in the

written communication used by the other

committee members.

Having decided to study BSL linguistics

in support of his ambition to become

a comedian, John is now a strong

advocate for BSL. He believes there is

great advantage in all children learning

the language and Deaf children in

particular being given a choice. Brought

up in a family who did not sign, John

also believes that parents of Deaf

children should learn, so that they can

communicate effectively with their own

children.

In addition to his comedy act, John has

been teaching BSL for some time now.

Sadly, that is about to come to an end

following redundancy, but it does mean

that we might see far more of John and

his unique brand of comedy in the coming

years. I had the pleasure of watching one

on life is hilarious, despite me laughing at

John explained that in the early days

of his comedy career he used his

and funny anecdotes. He then started

using his observation of Deaf people, but

recalls that there were some misgivings

around that. These days, his observations

on Deaf culture, mannerisms, politics

- indeed all things Deaf - are readily

accepted and usually have the audience

in stitches, even though they are often

laughing at themselves and the things

they do.

well for John.

agenda is something that he has done

SL First 30

phoneographers.

share the picture with your family, friends

and the world in an instant. There are

many ways of sharing photographs, with

a few of the most common listed below:

Twitter

Google+

There are many camera apps available

to support phoneography. The camera

basic photographs, however, there are

better apps available for download in the

app or play store that can add richness.

For this article, I will focus on the camera

360 app because of the following

reasons:

1) It is available for iPhone, Android and

3) It has visible grid lines for using

the rule of thirds to help improve your

of the magazine for more information).

This is a short introduction to using some

of the capabilities of Camera 360. If you

that displays the rule of third gridlines for

improving your composition. There are

hundreds of apps available, you just have

with the LG Nexus 4, which is an Android

phone. The instructions are similar for

assuming that you will already have

installed the Camera 360 app.

Step one is to enable the gridlines. For

this we need to enable the composition

function. This is found within the settings,

the following screenshots show how.

functions. Along the top we have:

some settings I would recommend:

is switched on

as it helps to steady the photo and

, rather than

using the shutter button at the

bottom. I just point at what I want

does the focusing on what I want to

capture.

Along the side, we have a zoom control

function as shown by the red rectangle in

the next image.

by Dafydd Eveleigh

Phoneography

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Across the bottom we have some tools

short cut to the gallery that allows:

Saving on to the internet as a

Photo splice to combine photos in

contains different options.

To the right there is a button that opens a

menu to 7 different shooting modes:

Effects

Self Shoot

Tilt-shift

Fast-shoot

Funny

Color-shift

Audio

As you may notice with the effects

shooting mode, the shutter button has

further options. If you slide the button to

the left, you get a list of special effects

you can choose from. My favourite is

magic color. If you slide to the right, you

get a list of scenes to create something

different. Please be aware there is an

extra download to use scenes and I

using Camera 360 with brief information

of the options I used.

HDR allows you to capture colours that

would otherwise be exposed wrongly. In

the above picture, without using HDR the

HDR I was able to capture the greenery.

Magic Colour

Tilt and Shift

HDR

SL First 32

Leap Motion. The Leap Motion offers an

entirely new way of interacting with your

going to change the way people control

that system is able to detect body shapes

and movements made by people playing

games in their living rooms.

The Leap Motion is different because it

is 200 times more sensitive to movement

than other available technologies. This

means it can follow the movement of

10 of them.

see a demonstration

of the Leap Motion in

action, you can use the

this code with your

mobile phone.

There are videos on the internet of

developers using the Leap Motion to

control games, play virtual musical

by Karl Jenkins BSc (Hons)

Will Computers Soon

Understand Sign Language?

Twitter 33

instruments, and navigate maps, but

it will bring a more natural interaction

with your computer, then what is more

language to interact with it. Now, just to

this system could surely allow for some

basic interaction with computer systems.

Imagine being able to sit in front of your

and your email application pops up.

computers much easier for sign language

users without much experience of using

signing) people too. People naturally use

gestures when communicating, so this

research online, it

seems that other people

have thought about this

too and in this video

clip:

you can see some American students

Leap have even setup a forum dedicated

to discussions around using the Leap

Motion controller with signed languages,

you can read more about that by following

, although

experience has been varied. Sometimes

every tiny movement of my hands, but

other times my cursor jumps all over the

screen. Being such a new product, at

this stage it is hard to tell whether this is

The Leap Motion comes with its own app

store called Airspace. At this app store

play Cut the Rope and a few other games,

drawing with Corel Painter.

in the Minority Report movie, moving

things around the screen with a swoosh

of your hand, but after trying several apps

full blown sign language yet.

In that respect it is similar to Speech-to-

but now I have to wait for the amazing

software to come along and allow me to

purchase online for £70.

Placing your technology Ad here?

For more information email:

SL First 34

Summer 2013 Deaf Events

across the UK

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Signcircle – by Katrina Gwynne-Jones & Christopher King

Signcircle – by Katrina Gwynne-Jones & Christopher King

SL First 36

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People, the charity

that provides life changing services to the

lives of deaf people, launched a nationwide

Fronting the campaign was ex-Eastenders

on the rise and one in six people in the

UK suffering from some form of deafness,

Hearing Dogs for Deaf People hope the

campaign will highlight the wide range of

issues often involved with hearing loss.

Pam spent a morning wearing a specially

simulated hearing device provided by

Specsavers Hearing Centres. This allowed

her to experience being deaf and gain some

of loneliness, isolation and the inability

to interact socially, that often occurs

through deafness. In the afternoon, Pam

was partnered with Steven Taylor, and

his hearing dog Echo, to appreciate the

day assistance of alerting Steven to sounds,

but also bringing visibility to his disability

and providing life time companionship.

Pam wanted to learn and appreciate

suffering from deafness. She described

as if she was “in a bubble”. Conversations

with other people in public places were

just as daunting for Pam, “That actually

was thrown into a situation where I was

relating to more than one person”, she

explained, “that sort of concentration is

very exhausting.”

brings, a reality for Pam for one day, but

she witnessed how valuable a hearing dog

just how many challenges deaf people

face, but I can also see the comfort and

support that Steven gets from his hearing

dog Echo.”

Since its launch at the world famous

dog show Crufts in 1982, Hearing Dogs

for Deaf People has created over 1,600

life-changing partnerships between deaf

people and hearing dogs in the UK, with

Hearing Dogs for the DeafImproving Lives and Providing Companionship

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The dogs are trained to alert deaf people

to sounds and danger signals, things

not only provides independence and

companionship.

David Greed is a recipient who also fully

values how a hearing dog can change

lives. He is married to Pippa, and has two

has had hearing loss since birth and been

a hearing dog recipient for 14 years. His

Sunny recently joined the Greed family.

Sunny has been a great help to David and

Sunny and the family had to cope without

the help of a hearing dog.

and the children, David replied, “It was

To be honest, the children are more

resilient than me but there were occasions

where they missed having a dog around.

They were aware of me waiting anxiously

for the next dog.”

However, good things came when the wait

biggest difference Sunny has made to

when the children become upset. As a

Hearing dogs are trained to alert deaf

people to a range of sounds at home

and in public. But they also go above

and beyond their training and bring huge

comfort to their recipients and their

surrounding loved ones. David explains

what could have been a dangerous

was in her buggy and Isaac was a toddler.

Jemima in her buggy while I ran to retrieve

buggy for us to return.” It is clear that all

massively positive impact on family life.

If you want to get involved with the

charity, then why not volunteer? In order

to continue funding more life-changing

partnerships, Hearing Dogs for Deaf

People need fundraising volunteers, whose

become a fundraiser in a range of different

areas, from starting your own informal

fundraising group, to holding your own

events and activities, to joining an existing

branch in your area.

contact our Volunteering Department on

01844 348100 or email us at volunteer@

more about Hearing Dogs for the Deaf on

our website at

SL First 38

Mobile: 07702177038

Email: lynndelfosse@hotmail.com

Mobile: 07983476037

Email:

Interpreters and

Translators

Dorset, Somerset & Devon

Health

Interpreters

South Wales Area

Mobile: 07787 126431

Twitter: @juliebsl

E:

Mobile: 07595 844133

Twitter: @stephenbw

Email: stephen_bw@me.com

Mobile: 07918 640914

Twitter:

Email:

Mobile: 07806 771275

Email:

Mobile: 07747 064449

Twitter:

Email: olivia.retter@bsl-communication.com

www.bsl-communication.com

Telephone: 01743 891885

Mobile: 07939 600126

Email: steve.brown7@btinternet.com

Telephone: 01743 891885

Mobile: 07939 600126

Email: brightlady@btinternet.com

UK wide.

Mobile:

Email:

Mobile: 07974 065 971

BSL available

For more information email

sarah@sl"rst.co.uk

Twitter 39

Fingerspelling is a wonderful tool for

opening up new worlds of information.

concept, or a new piece of equipment,

it. It is also invaluable for spelling new or

unfamiliar names, such as those of people

we have never met, or places.

At the moment, there is a trend to use

to see Baby Sign systems more closely

based on BSL). A natural extension of this

as another way to introduce infants to

English words and names. That is what

alphabet – and should not be confused

with British Sign Language.

Greece. In tourist restaurants, the menu

translations into other languages, using

English and most European languages).

But these are translations, not just the

in the Latin alphabet. If it was, we still

could order – and that could lead to some

that British Sign Language is just a signed

version of English. If that were the case,

American Sign Language should be very

similar to BSL. But in fact, for historical

reasons, it is completely different,

cards, with 26 pictures of the letters in

the alphabet. These may be useful as a

but they are not a perfect guide to how

alphabet is a perfect guide to how every

individual writes these letters with a

pen, and even less, to how they are

pronounced in speech.

language that is BSL, you have to see how

it and using it yourself.

it easy for people to learn to read and

containing between 2 and 4 letters,

including names, UK place names, etc.

has nearly 1500 names, including place

names, all the states of the USA and a list

of the new Royal baby, George Alexander

www.

BSL World

by Linda Day and Tessa Padden

(Signworld)

A regular column about issues

relating to British Sign Language

SL First 40

It is strange in this civilization of ours, that

people who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

receive almost no concern at all. In fact,

since I have become Hard of Hearing,

I have found that because I do not

immediately comprehend what has been

said, I am often considered dull, stupid

or even mentally unsound and until the

situation is explained that opinion persists.

members, to convince me that I was not

hearing as I should. It started with me

not catching everything that was being

said in groups, starting to add something

to the conversation, only to be told that

the ultimate test was the old enemy, the

television. My wife started to complain that

I had the sound up far too high and it was

only when she reduced the volume to a

standard that she could tolerate that I had

to admit that I did need some help.

I went through the usual tests and was

National Health Hearing Aids. They

increase the volume but not always the

clarity that is required, and sometimes

because of the quality of the sound, I just

for a set of the new digital units which I

had heard of. The technician seeing to me

stated that I was a very long way down

the list and it would be at least two years

before I would be considered. However, if I

with these new digital items immediately

Here I should explain that next month I

shall be 83 and a two-year wait seems

a very long way off, even assuming I am

still around then. I have been a pensioner

for some time now and £500 is an awful

Hard of

Hearing –

Isolating and

Lonelyby E.W. James

Twitter 41

and becoming one of the thousands who

become a recluse, not entirely through

As I said earlier, I shall soon be 83 but I am

far from the armchair and slippers brigade.

At 6.30 a.m. every morning I am one of

I have a fairly vigorous swim of up to half a

at the newspaper I start or continue with

some project or other. I went to Art School

for 5 years before teaching and lecturing

the subject before retiring as a college

Principal. Drawing, painting or other design

in photography as a 13 year old, served as

a photographer in the R.A.F. and with the

advent of digital photos and the computer I

I am not trying to suggest that I am some

superman for my age, I am merely trying

deafness, I have realised how badly people

one of our very attractive and popular lady

news readers gradually drops her voice as

she gets to the end of the sentence and

her last word is often lost.

As a schoolboy I was given a small part

in a school play and I well remember the

Drama Teacher shouting, “James, you

are dropping your voice at the end of the

sentence and we cannot hear the most

important part. Raise your voice at the

absolutely right , the last word in a

day can become very sloppy in their

speech, because they repeat the same

phrases over and over, until a sentence

comes out as almost one word such as,

“willtherebeanythingelseyoullbewanting”.

Not the best example, but those who

struggle to hear at the best of times,

them to repeat what they have said, I get

indicate disgust, or “pity for the old guy”.

Last month I went to the USA to visit our

youngest daughter and their family. My

grandson was graduating and we were

thrilled to attend. As you might imagine

for America, it was a very grand affair.

Fortunately for me, it was very visual,

because even with my NHS hearing

aids, I did not hear a single speech or

based grandchildren every 3 or 4 years so

communication is important, but they are

not used to my deafness. Together with

their accent, I scarcely understood 50%

of what they said to me, and although we

parted amicably, I am sure I was still a

stranger to them.

an organised train trip to Germany with a

group of about 40 people. Everything was

and it was a friendly group, but, yet again,

whilst I was a member of the party I

missed about 80% of the conversation.

After dinner each night we would retire

been told, but whilst it was pleasant, it was

discussed so I was not completely left in

the cold.

me to do that!

SL First 42

is a local Deaf charity. Under Chief

an award-winning organisation. Even

slowed the innovation and creativity that

the organisation deals with the challenges

Deaf people face.

At the start of 2013, GDA found itself at

crunch time in what had been a year-long

crisis. It was faced with having to sell off

its much loved community building in

Barnwood, Gloucester, to have any hope

of saving itself from a £481,000 pensions

with its local Deaf community, the

organisation changed its plan and instead

managed to negotiate a settlement that

involved selling just half the site, thereby

retaining its building – the heart of

GDA and its local Deaf community, which

share the Community Centre building,

sale as a springboard for exciting future

developments. Commenting on the way

a very clear vision of where we are going,

is not going to prevent or slow down our

progress”.

a communications support department,

provision of listening aid equipment,

hearing aid maintenance and deaf

awareness training. It also provides

regular social activities through its Deaf

Clubs, Lip reading classes and Hard of

Hearing Clubs.

Earlier this year, following a successful

fundraising programme, GDA was able

to open an Education and Training

Room within its Centre for Deaf People,

complete with eight brand new laptop

computers and projector. Courses are

fully under way, with around 20 people

and basic English and Maths. Three

GDA recognises that being ready for

a fund raising activity. Having started

by Gemma Sills

Leading the Way –

Gloucester Deaf Association

Twitter 43

out so nervously, it has been wonderful

to watch their self-esteem grow. After

a presentation to a local business

see their sponsorship money soar as the

businesses got behind their challenge –

this only happened because they stood

up and told their story. In doing this

challenge they are not only proving to

themselves they can do anything, but to

the entire Deaf community – young and

old. Their determination to succeed has

been inspiring, and we wish them every

success.

Six months ago, GDA was delighted

outstanding achievement, including

recognised, in particular, the success of

the 4-5 minute BSL video newsletter

up to date with news. This initiative has

proved so popular, it is perhaps one that

at as a way of increasing interactivity,

improving communication, and also

driving people to their website from

Visit GDA today and there is a buzz

on drawings that will transform the

Monday mornings see people arriving

and everywhere staff, volunteers, Deaf

club members and visitors, enjoy a

community spirit and sense of purpose

that has never been stronger. If the last

year has proved testing at times, as the

problem, it has learned above all else that

achievements are often only limited by a

SL First 44

Community Centre building that GDA and

GDSSC share in Barnwood, Gloucester.

Let me tell you a bit of history about

GDSSC. Just under 100 years ago

there was the Deaf Centre run by the

Gloucester Diocesan Association for the

me recently how Deaf People used to

or visit pubs to collect donations. For

many years GDAD ran a charity for the

Deaf Community from a building at St.

Mary Square, quite close to Gloucester

Mary Square myself when I was 17 years

old and joining the Youth Club for the

Deaf, before later becoming a Youth

Leader for 6 years.

In 1992, GDAD evolved into the registered

by Kim Fletcher

Gloucester Deaf Centre

Twitter 45

continues to provide services for Deaf

and Hard of Hearing people. It is a great

community facility.

Square and moved into what used to

be Barnwood Primary School in a nice

residential area on the edge of the City

Centre. The building is large enough

youth club for 9 to 25 year olds, a Deaf

birth up to 8 years of age, and hearing

children of the same age with a deaf

parent, Hard of Hearing Clubs, Lip

reading Classes, and a Church Group.

Earlier this year, the charity raised funds

to create a brand new Education Centre,

complete with 9 laptop computers and a

projector. I strongly believe we are very

over as Chair of GDSSC, was organising

a Halloween Party, with parents and

children all arriving in fancy dress to

Another popular event was a Pampered

teams to create a recipe from cards, and

interestingly, both teams overdid the

amount of rum, which meant we all got

Regular events are just as important of

course, and GDSSC members seem

particular, with a lovely two-course hot

Smith Comedy Show, Halloween Party,

Quiz Night, Scrabble and Dominoes/Uno

it is today without a strong team. I would

Richard who is Treasurer of GDSSC and

to all my lovely committee and members

who have been supporting me since I

If you wish to hear more information on

our events, please feel free to e-mail

Chairperson.

Twitter 47

all communication was gone. It was

were a nightmare for the whole family.

frustration showed. It seemed to go on and

on and on. Her frustration was beyond our

understanding. The thought of what the

future held for her was quite terrifying. As a

parent, that caused us much torment.

Understandably, we were also concerned

the attention we gave her? How can we

all about it, but he was so deep it was

by Jennie Finlayson

Accepting, coping and

supporting our Deaf girl

SL First 48

He was always very helpful though, and

came up with some good ideas to help

her understand things. He must also have

gone through a hard time, but he never

complained.

Schooling was a worry, but, the

Education Authority at that time, were

they arranged for me to go on courses

to London on, “how to deal with a deaf

child”. This was good and when there, I

was very impressed with a lady who came

child understand you, then do it, even if it

my daughter, but I must stress here that

the Education Authority and sent her to a

Partial Hearing Unit at a local mainstream

school.

Battle lines were drawn each day:-

Shall we give in and have a meal in peace

cutlery or overturned dinner, everybody.

Scream, scream, scream.

you?

She wants to go out to play. Too

dangerous. So, just jump out of the front

hill.

The school rang one day to say that she

and a Deaf friend had been playing with a

as they are now). The ball had gone over

the railings and into the road and both girls

hair clips on for railings. She had some

very small dolls which for illustration

purposes we said were her and her friend.

the road. She watched all this with interest

and certainly understood a message

verbally.

started to help

her. She was ready to learn. Now, we

had a different problem. Questions were

have an immediate answer. The trouble

to bed when it was daylight. Eventually, we

decided that we would try to explain why

one, to say the least. It ended up with my

Twitter 49

things for ages but she got the message

in the end. It was an education for me

About this time she joined the Brownies

and as we lived on a new estate, there

were plenty of children to play with. In that

She was extremely popular, in spite of

everything. She was a bit of a dare-devil

and a good sport, so this helped her a lot.

In primary school, she spent almost all day

in the Partial Hearing Unit. They did some

Deaf children, by arrangement, to a small

small amount of money to spend and were

shown how to do their own shopping. It

taught them a little bit about budgeting as

a personal level, I found it worth explaining

the situation to the managers in shops we

used regularly. You would be surprised at

how co-operative they were. It turned a

to, as she loved all the attention she was

getting. Similarly, when she was a bit

older, we would let her deal with shop

assistants herself, so if she wanted a top

in a different size or colour, then she tried

to get this over by herself. I remember

her marching one assistant to the shop

window so that the light was on her face.

Someone was always on hand, in case of

was worth it.

Going to Comprehensive was a whole

from languages, she went to all other

classes, and had extra tuition in English

and Arithmetic when the others were doing

all been teenagers, when a spot on your

nose is the end of the world, but she

blamed everything on her being Deaf and

seemed to be in a permanent strop. At

My own mother had a deaf neighbour.

She was older than our children and

had been away to school and used Sign

Language. My daughter was fascinated

by her and always wanted to go and see

11 years previous, on the importance

of communication, so, much against

She was soon

off to Deaf Clubs all over the place and

really enjoyed the relaxation.

In addition, she got a part-time job in

the local shop, which was great for her

her own.

,

became quite good and even had time off

was also life-changing in a way because

SL First 50

need to hear to be good at something. She

still loves her golf. In fact, a few years ago,

Deaf Championships.

subjects, other than Maths and English, we

decided to let her do what she wanted to.

She chose all non-academic things and did

subject she wanted. She could always

improve later. This proved to be exactly the

case.

At 17, she had had enough of school. She

Training Scheme to train in Graphic Design.

Even though her wages were terrible,

been good at it, as they gave her a lot of

responsibility and she even visited clients

on behalf of the company. Her intelligence

was now showing and she was absolutely

determined to do well, but became very

angry when she was left out of meetings

This was a shame.

At around this time

Level. Part of the course involved having

which she really enjoyed. As miserable as

that went included a partial hearing boy

seen them before in her life. This was a

huge experience. The locals out there loved

admired her efforts.

. They

with her 2nd child she decided that she

wanted a lot more from life, with regard

Education teacher. In conjunction with

this, she sat all the necessary BSL exams.

Since 1998 , she has taught BSL and

for the last 10 years or so, she has been

self-employed. She still teaches BSL.

In addition, she goes all over the place

teaching Deaf Awareness. She even went

Twitter 51

to Qatar doing this. You may have seen

her signing on TV or appearing on the

news from time to time. She also does a

lot of other things that are way over my

head, including her own web-site. As ever,

she becomes totally self-absorbed when

doing something new, and she is totally

life. She says it is important for people to

girl, this woman, is passionate about equal

status for Deaf people and she will always

fortunate than her.

people. Time permitting, she still visits

her local Deaf Club and has a chat with

the people there, who are, generally, from

some of the privileges that she has had.

a few members of the Royal Family and

she was perfectly at ease with all of them.

She is never self-conscious because of her

deafness and is not afraid to persist if she

This ability to communicate with people,

to anyone, never mind a Deaf person, and

it has certainly helped her in life.

her determination to prove that she can

do everything as well as, if not better than,

everyone else is what made her such hard

her into the successful person that she is

today.

Her mantra has always been that

“the deaf can do it”. She certainly

others to feel more positive about

themselves or their deaf children.

She has made me very proud.

Jennie Finlayson

Photos provided by Karen Parker and

Rachel Wilks

SL First 52

SL First

World Deaf Photos

Argentina. Photo by Richard Wienbaum

Twitter 53

Buenos Aires Zoo Phuket

Buenos Aires Zoo

Photo by Susan J. Zupnik

Phi Phi Island

SL First 54

wheelchair dancing as a sport and leisure

that people who do wheelchair dance are

proud to say

exciting ways to engage and inspire

everyone, regardless of their age or

part in high quality wheelchair dancing or

wheelchair dance sport within the UK.

including wheelchair users, the elderly,

and people who are Deaf or Hard of

Hearing. The people who have been

impact on their lives. It is a fun source

of exercise and activity as well opening

up new social activities, friendships and

companionship.

dance and appeared to be treating it

the dances when requested to do so

by the instructor, and then laughed as

she dashed to catch up with the other

dancers. The instructor went over to her

better to the instructions given, only for

Lisa to apologise to the instructor and

Wheelchair Dancing -

Deaf Teaching

Twitter 55

explaining that she had forgotten to put

on her hearing aids. You can imagine the

Deaf people, the instructor was able

to sign to Lisa apologising for the

misunderstanding and giving her a

dancing recommenced, this time with

the instructor signing the direction and

number of steps, and the session proved

to be a great success.

At the end of the session Lisa told the

instructor how much she had enjoyed

an instructor. The instructor told Lisa

that they ran instructor training courses

if she was interested. However, whilst

Lisa wanted to do the course, she felt

she would not be able to do it because

she would not be able to follow the

discussion. The instructor told her that

they would interpret the entire course for

her if she really wanted to do it. Lisa was

her attendance on the course.

Lisa has since completed the instructor

course and started running her own

dance classes. She also enrolled on

a university degree course in nursing,

something that she had always wanted

to do, but had never had the courage

and passing the instructors course has

anything, if she believes in herself and

her ability. Her group is still going strong

and increasing in numbers, with several

of the dancers going on to do well in

dance competitions.

your nearest group go to

activities.

our local groups and our national team.

website.

You can also support us by giving your

time or by supporting our events.

Please also see

SL First 56

A quick look at Team

GB’s performance

2013

25th and August 4th and were held in

problems, they had to withdraw from

already hosted the games previously in

really well and came away with 5 medals,

the undeniable winner this year was

Russia winning a staggering 177 medals

came in third with 42 medals.

Team GB were awarded 2 medals for the

Mel Jewett won a Bronze medal in the

for Cycling, both won by Tom Smith

team also won a Bronze medal.

and Paralympic games where both GB

in 33rd place.

UK Government does not provide any

Twitter 57

athletes, so they are forced to pay for

athlete attending was required to pay

more than £2,000 of their own money

fundraising activities to try and subsidise

the cost. As a result of this, most of the

British athletes need to have full time

any money left over to fund their own

funded to attend the events and also for

the training. This allows them to train at a

need to also have a full time job.

SL First caught up with Dominic Caswell,

one of the Team GB Badminton players

chance to meet with athletes from other

sports, to support each other, have a

great time and still be able to focus on

him about the differences in the number

a high level, most other countries offer

state sponsorship covering years worth

of training and also some countries

were offering large cash prizes for those

hoping for maybe another medal or two

for us, but it is a fantastic achievement

to get as many as we did.” SL First

wholeheartedly agrees with this and

[Photos by Chris Caswell]

SL First 58

Keenly contested, the Championships pull

together teams from Ireland, Scotland,

England turned up with another strong

in typical 4 Nations style, the other teams

Championships is not just about the golf,

however, the evening get together and

important. So, as part of the preparations,

SL First through the helpful and supportive

contacted The Vale and offered some deaf

awareness training and introductory BSL

classes.

Under the auspices of our favourite

invited to run a couple of classes with staff

from the hotel, golf shop and the on-site

restaurants, bars and leisure facilities.

The staff who attended the sessions

with an introductory BSL input that had

been designed around their interaction

with golfers and supporters, they

threw themselves energetically into the

programme.

In addition to teaching some BSL and deaf

some of the issues about accommodating

card, how to use room service, that sort of

thing.

The outcome is that people felt it made a

difference in respect of the consideration

that the Vale Hotel and Golf Resort gave to

all the teams, families and their supporters.

arrival, text numbers to contact the

deaf aware. It made a real difference.

that provides a considerable challenge

with tight wooded holes on the opening

holes, and a series of water hazards on the

golfers can go through the whole range

nation

plays the others, and points are awarded

4 Nations Golf Championship

Twitter 59

for the result on each hole. Using a different

two points were awarded for a win, one point

if the teams had the same score, and no

points if the hole was lost.

In 2011, England ran out fairly easy

point victory over Ireland. This year was

considerably tougher, with Ireland putting

the way.

too strong for the other nations, the Irish

competition, and ultimately that proved to

be the deciding factor, with Ireland accruing

The ladies competition was contested

between only two of the nations due to

After some close games, the English team

ran out worthy winners.

The planned evening activities were

enjoyed by all the teams, and we had the

enjoy their company.

English Deaf Golf Association.

www.englishdeafgolfassociation.com

www.walesdeafgolf.com

www.scottishdeafgolf.com

www.irishdeafgolfunion.com

Photos by Kate Evans Photography and

Jason Albutt.

SL First 60

heads around the world, I have enjoyed

watching Formula 1 on the television.

I love the class and wealth behind the

on one hand, and then a sport reliant on

minute precision and care on the other.

audible excitement of an Italian crowd

when a Ferrari wins the race, but it is a

very visual sport, and there is much in

that, that I do enjoy.

As the points on my licence testify, and

not having the Top Gear circuit readily

available to me, I also enjoy fast cars. I

Fast, Furious & Frolicking Good Fun at Castle Combe Car Racing

Twitter 61

love the feel of the car hugging a tight

ounce of design effort that has gone into

it. I smile every time I accelerate at pace,

ripping through the gears, feeling rather

than hearing the power of those horses as

electricity pulses into the rest of my body.

For my 50th Birthday, I want someone

My love of speed and fast cars got me

the UK, nearly all of us drive and enjoy

thought it was about time I explored, so

on a glorious, hot, and sunny Saturday,

I set off to the Castle Combe Circuit

that is just off the M4 between Bath and

Cirencester.

the information is very basic, it had what

I needed. I chose to attend what they

information was straightforward and I was

and have them delivered, so that entry

we were in. No fuss, no hassle, and no

communication barrier.

nothing. Toilets were plentiful and well

signposted and there was good signage

about the course.

the car to watch if we wanted to. As soon

as the engine in our car was turned off, I

raced by, reaching speeds I could only

dream about.

Labours of love, some of these ‘retro

using saloons on the outside, but turned

Even a little Smart car had me screeching

with delight as it hurled itself around

impossible. And this was just part of the

morning warm up.

SL First 62

Leaving the picnic in the car to start with,

we set out to have a stroll around the

with some of the drivers, racing teams

it was busy to say the least. Not being

able to hear a car approaching certainly

feel the vibrations of the grunting engine

as soon as any car got within 50 metres

of me.

It was interesting to see the contrast

between the smaller budget teams and

the big sponsored setups with their

enjoy a wide variety of cars, from small

single seater racing cars to huge Jaguars

that are usually coasting along our

motorways.

I got to chat to a few drivers who were

meet, the costs involved, and why they

a car or two, with several on sale. I was

so tempted and would have loved to

Twitter 63

of well over 50% of the course and I

could feel when each race started by the

vibrations it caused, even though the start

was half a mile away.

international racing circuit, these drivers

the Formula Ford single seaters or the

6.2 litre TVR Tuscan, racing was fast and

furious, with the cars being driven to

test the extreme capabilities of man and

machine.

My favourite race was the Jaguar Classics

and not just because this provided the

most off road entertainment of the day.

These were huge machines and with the

near 100,000 combined horse power

being used by the 25 cars in the race,

I can honestly say I felt every one as it

accelerated away from Bobbies Chicane,

before screeching around Camp Corner

onto the starting straight.

problematic. However, despite poor

communication with me when trying to

day, the course management do at least

use twitter effectively to let followers

race.

Be warned, the bang of the turbo on

the course and identify every time that car

went past me. It was exhilarating, and it

At

Web www.littlebirdiestudio.co.uk Email chirp@littlebirdiestudio.co.uk

Websites

Logo Design

Leaflets

& more. . .

YouMeSign was established by

Segun Babatunde in 2009.

Since then the business has never looked back.

YouMeSign now produces a range of

hearing people to communicate with Deaf people

using basic sign language.

Picture: Lord Andrew Adonis and Segun babatude

(Northern Lights, UcLan, 26th April 2013)

Lord Adonis was intrigued and very interested in this

Mr Babatunde!

supply please visit

www.youmesign.co.uk

SL First 66

Communication between us and

representatives of the course, could

businesses, email was welcomed, and I

Bath races lies above the picturesque

and historic city, and is easily accessed

area has some lovely country pubs, so if

you fancy catching a meal before getting

to the course, there are plenty of good

places to choose from.

It was clear and plentiful, and wherever

I wanted to go on course, I was able

to follow signs to get there. I had pre-

bit easier, but I need not have worried.

The staff were warm, welcoming and

patient, recognising that I was Deaf

communication.

As I entered the main areas of the course,

green grass and the cleanliness. Horse

racing is the Sport of Kings and I felt

Bath Races were upholding that tradition

excellently. The facilities are family

friendly, and whether you are a seasoned

race goer, here to enjoy the gambling, or a

this race meeting suits your needs.

and freshened up after our journey to the

course, I made my way to the saddling

enclosure to see if my highly amateur

were present, as that can indicate the

trainer has advised them to come along,

because their horse has a good chance.

I enjoyed watching these wonderful

races. Some seemed highly experienced,

and stood there patiently whilst their

saddle was applied, mouth washed and

by Sarah Lawrence

Bath Races

Twitter 67

little more on their toes, tapping away

were prepared for the race ahead. I

coats gleaming, mane platted, ears

pointing upwards and moving furtively

to the sounds around them. Every horse

of winning a race.

in front of us, long legs effortlessly

covering the ground. It sounds daft, but

indication I was forced to wait for the

trainer and owners. Adorned in an array

with the trainer before the stable hand

brought their horse to them. Despite

and immediately gaining control of their

charge. The tension amongst the crowd

seemed to change, and I felt nervousness

rising in me too. I have no idea why, but I

I dashed down to the betting ring and

for a moment stood and watched the

tic tac men in operation, silently passing

information from one end of the betting

ring to the other. That bit all seemed a bit

familiar, and I smiled at how important

silent communication is to the horse

racing world.

The betting ring is highly visible these

days, with lots of digital displays so that

the names and prices of horses are easy

offer of a couple of coins, and now things

were getting really serious. The timing of

I could feel the tension in the crowd rise

as the horses got to the starting gate, and

public announcement system was blurting

something out, but I was able to see the

horses going into the stalls on the course

televisions.

SL First 68

Suddenly, the gates opened and the pent

up horse power in the stalls released in

one huge wave of power. Urgently, I was

do their best for me.

well placed on the outside, and I turned

my attention from the TV screen to the

horses themselves as they accelerated

My horse started to mount a serious

challenge and drew level with the leader

myself aboard my horse, pushing and

pulling it towards the line. Less than a

furlong to go, my investment was still

hosed. Just as I was forging ahead of the

9 came on the scene, and with a well-

timed run, beat my horse by a short head.

The highs of triumph turned to

disappointment in the matter of seconds,

but my heart was pounding with

excitement.

The rest of the race meet was equally

exciting and entertaining. In between

food options, which ranged from sit down

All in all, this was great entertainment,

and a great family day out. Highly visual,

I found the course and staff catered

well for my needs and apart from public

out on anything else. I had a wonderful

time, as did my family, and it wont be long

before I return.

SL First 70

Sean Midnight -

Wrestling for his future

Sean Noone was born and

sport that has a long and

thought it was about time SL First caught

international competition.

Sean was born in Sandwell, but his family

moved to Birmingham so that the family

home was closer to Longwill School for

the Deaf where he attended school. Aged

9, Sean was transferred to a mainstream

a position at his secondary school,

Braidwood School for the Deaf.

Sean enjoyed the social side of school

along with Design Technology, Art and

from being the best Mathematician.

“I remember watching wrestling on TV

every Saturday morning with my brother,

Anthony,” he explained. “I was inspired by

it, so I told my parents I was going to be

a wrestling school based in Birmingham

and then switched to Ultimate

two Deaf wrestlers there.”

Twitter 71

to study a BTEC Diploma in Media at

Bourneville College but soon realised that

was not exactly what he wanted to do. He

Despite being only 25, Sean has been

wrestling professionally for nearly a

yesterday when he started.

Sean describes his greatest achievement

as meeting Alan Kilby in person, as he

is the person who inspired him to get in

to wrestling.

A seasoned wrestler on the British Circuit,

Sean is also proud to have had the

opportunity to wrestle at the MATA Expo in

California. During the event, Sean wrestled

in front of 6,500 people, and he was such

a success, he has been invited to return

later this year.

played on him and other competitors

during a competition in Luton. Sean told

me that all of the wrestlers noticed there

the building had been set at 00:00. They

all thought Sean was responsible, until his

a “Cute Sean Midnight story”.

wrestling is a dangerous sport and should

a pile driver move went badly wrong. His

paralysed.

Sean has wrestled extensively throughout

to appearing in Japan and the Phillipines

next year, as well as the USA.

some of the biggest wresting shows in the

world, but he worries that being Deaf is a

to prove that Deaf people have exactly the

same talent as hearing people, the one

Sean hopes to see more Deaf people

become professional wrestlers in the

future. Through his wrestling, Sean has

been able to travel extensively and meet

some inspirational people.

encourages all deaf children to pursue

their dreams. He said, “There may be

challenges to face, but with determination

and dedication you can overcome them.

Ultimately, there is nothing to stop you

achieving what you want to do”. Many

success of wrestling, and he remains intent

on proving them wrong.

at:

Credit to Zoe Louise Brown Photography

SL First 72

by Simon Deacy OBE

Sporting

Inspiration –

An Interview

with Karen

Lewis-Archer

motherhood

Karen is a veteran Paralympian, wife,

mother and volunteer. She is also an

young people.

and with two sporty parents, she was

accomplished swimmer and heading for

a promising international career, a turn of

fate re-directed Karen to an athletic career

that went on to change her life.

“Today I am a happy and contented

mother, with a wonderful husband and

son,” she explains. “But without my

athletic career, I fear I would have become

As a junior swimmer, Karen excelled as

a member of the Scottish junior swim

team. From an early age and despite

being paralysed from the chest down,

poolside in getting in and out of the pool

independently. These were undoubtedly

early signs of the determination and need

for dependency that would go on to

A swimmer with Clyde Valley Beavers, the

describes, “but whilst there, athletics

Twitter 73

wheelchairs that exists today, I was able

to jump in, and just pushed hard in the

other three girls and we won the relay. I

came home with two gold medals and a

challenge or the next good deed, but

it is disappointing that a wrist injury

prevented her from winning Gold in the

Sydney Paralympics. Despite that set

international competitions, over 100m,

200m and 400m.

This is a lady passionate about disability

sport and ensuring disabled people are

given the platform ‘to be the best you can

stereotyping that still exists around any

people often assume that I am

Karen says with some sadness.

“People see my disability and

they place limitations on my

intelligence and my worth in life.

They could not have me more

Karen Lewis-Archer

Karen faces adversity and challenge

every day, but she thrives on it and

turns overcoming it, into something

incredibly positive. In 2009, even her

full when Karen endured a series of

she endured a blood clot on the brain, a

brain collapse, a subdural haematoma, 2

shunt replacements, as well as a further

5 neurosurgical operations. It was a

ambitions lay in helping and inspiring

others. People who have the privilege of

listening to her, or being part of one of her

inspirational programmes, all testify to her

considerable attributes and abilities.

or contact

SL First 74

New British Sign Language

videos from South Wales Police

Produced by the Corporate

Communications department, the

videos feature Mr Glyn Rosser, the

volunteered his time to help the force.

Public Service Centre Superintendent

“It is important that our communities have

equal access to our services, and that

us when they need to.”

“The videos reinforce that the Public

Service Centre is equipped to deal with

the needs of the public 24 hours a day,

minicom system or use an emergency

SMS service.

The minicom number is: 01656 656980.

Please save this number in your machine,

need to.

If you want to use the emergency SMS

service, simply type the recipient of the

message into your handset as 999.

To use this service you must pre-register,

so please consider registering now.

You can register by visiting www.

word “register” to 999 and then follow the

instructions.

To report a non-emergency, you can

textphone 18001 101 or contact the

issues in your area.

Twitter 75

Fideos Iaith Arwyddion Prydain

newydd gan Heddlu De Cymru

Glyn Rosser, Cadeirydd Clwb Byddar Pen-

Dywedodd Uwcharolygydd Canolfan

gysylltu â ni pan fo angen.

ag anghenion y cyhoedd 24 awr y dydd,

saith diwrnod yr wythnos.”

De Cymru mewn argyfwng, gallwch

ffonio system minicom yr heddlu neu

Rhif y minicom yw: 01656 656980. Dylech

nodyn ohono mewn man diogel fel y

angen.

SMS brys, nodwch dderbynnydd y neges

yn eich ffôn fel 999.

felly dylech ystyried cofrestru nawr.

Gallwch gofrestru drwy fynd i www.

yna dilyn y cyfarwyddiadau.

101 neu gysylltu â gwasanaeth minicom

Heddlu De Cymru.

swyddog lleol plismona yn y gymdogaeth

ynghylch materion yn eich ardal.

I gael rhagor o wybodaeth am Heddlu De

Cymru, ewch i www.south-wales.police.

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