Tag: Sussex

EPSTENNIS _ Tennis Especially for the Partly Sighted

EPps Tennis ceases at Sussex County LTC

To all members of Sussex County LTC

To the Main Committee

To the Secretary

16th February 2019

 

Dear Sir,

Thank you for the pleasure and enjoyment you have brought to partly sighted tennis players over the last four years, through your concession for carer volunteers.

Regrettably in a brutish and brutal manner your club withdrew this concession with peremptory demands with little notice and no reasoned explanation or discussion.

All our carer volunteers immediately resigned and our partly sighted players have had to follow them. The Eps Tennis group has therefore ceased to exist.

I too have now joined the exodus and will not renew my membership. I will therefore stand down from the Main Committee.

If the situation should change I will be happy to rejoin.

Yours

Cliff Jenkins

——

EPSTennis

Tennis especially for the Partly Sighted

Dedicated to Val, a girl I met at the Macular Society Annual Conference, who would love to take up tennis again, and all the hundreds like her.

Benefits for everyone. You can enjoy, you can achieve, you too can sharpen up and improve reactions:-

 

  • Improved effective vision, improved focusing.

 

 

  • Reduced weight.

 

 

  • Becoming fitter, developing better maneuverability, better flexibility and better balance.

 

 

  • Fewer slips, trips and falls.
  • Better spatial awareness and faster reactions.

 

 

  • Improved concentration.

 

 

  • Extra joy of recovering a lost element of life, a real WIN.

 

 

  • Making new friends and having a laugh.

 

 

  • Sheer joie de vivre..

 

 

  • And it’s Fn.

 

Come and join us.

We are partly sighted tennis players and we are looking for other partly sighted tennis players. Come and join us. Rekindle the enjoyment you used to have.

We play two or three times a week and we play on normal courts, with normal balls, rackets etc., and we have an extra bounce.

Starting with Sound Tennis which is why we adapted their rules to normal tennis, but wanted to play outdoors and to play normal tennis as everyone else does.

We have various eye problems including Glaucoma and AMD. We are a friendly, sociable bunch who laugh about our experiences! The cost is only ten pounds a month.

Ray’s Comments:
“Brilliant, absolutely brilliant, good fun. Everybody gets on well with each other and we’re all getting better month on month, a great crowd and we enjoy beer afterwards.”

RULES

The rules are very simple.

The rules for EPSTennis are absolutely identical with the original rules being used for Sound Tennis internationally and on the formal LTA Tennis Rules.

Compared with the LTA Rules all we have extra is the exchange of alert before serving;  “Ready?”, Response “Yes”, and response “Play” (all clearly, audibly and promptly) followed by the serve.

The only other rule is that partly sighted  players are allowed a second bounce when the ball is in play, whether as a result of a serve or in the course of play.

Normal etiquette of calling whether a ball strikes “in” or “out” needs to be followed and calls made clearly, audibly and promptly.

Very recently we have started using ultra bright yellow balls and we have settled on the Wilson Australian Open balls as used by the LTA.

If we have an odd number of players whether three, five or seven then we cycle play round so that nobody is off court for more than five minutes. It also has the benefit that each individual player partners every  other player.

Just like us you can enjoy, you can achieve, you too can sharpen up and improve reactions:

-Improved effective vision, improved focusing.
– Reduced Weight.
– Becoming fitter, developing better manoeuvrability, better flexibility and better balance.
– Fewer slips, trips and falls.
– Better spatial awareness and faster reactions.
– Improved concentration.
– Extra joy of recovering a lost element of life, a real WIN.
– Making new friends and having a laugh.
– Sheer joie de vivre.
– And it’s Fun.

cliffofyoolaa.co.uk@gmail.com

Barry’s comments:
“I had major sight loss about two years ago. At the time I was quite active playing tennis five times a week, cycling, and driving. All this had to stop abruptly and I thought I would never play tennis again in any meaningful way.

It was a big change and a time to take stock and adapt to a different lifestyle. I had become unable to do many of the things in my life that I had been accustomed to doing & enjoying. On the positive side I was still fit.

I visited the Sussex County to try to play on normal tennis courts using standard tennis balls. I liked the idea but I made no assumptions that I would be able to play but I was going to try and do my best.

Everybody was very helpful and welcoming. I felt no pressure, or embarrassment or mild humiliation when inevitably made ‘fresh air’ shots !

I came away from that first visit with a feeling of connection and invigoration. With memories of the few times I actually solidly hit the ball, and no memory of the many misses and miss hits.

Since that first visit four months ago I think I have begun to adapt and improve my tennis in many ways, and it is an ongoing learning experience. I am also getting fitter to play better, the reflexes and muscles are remembering and learning.

The joy and satisfaction I now experience playing partially sighted tennis also connects me to how I used to feel playing tennis for all those years before. It has made a positive difference to me on many levels, and I actually feel that I am playing normal tennis with the option of an extra bounce!

I know personally how much this special tennis has benefitted me so, I am very keen to spread the word to all the people who would like to come and take part.”

 

 

A superb day Snail Hunting

A superb day Snail Hunting

Snail - Union Flag

Off to a great start when my grandson greeted the discovery of some gluten free bread in a bag for him with a loud shout of “Great, that`s my favourite”.

After a breakfast of scrambled eggs on toast with ham and tomatoes, (with toast and jam to follow) we were off.

Off to the bus-stop on a “Double or dawdle” basis we got the Stagecoach 700 after about 30 mins.

A very busy day as normally I`m the only person rather than the twelve in the queue, ..and then we were off to Brighton.

First stop Palmeira Square. “There it is “ was the cry. We walked down to the promenade and then towards the pier.

The playground on the beach provided an excellent break as the kids ran and ran around the facilities and slides, whilst we had a lovely cup of coffee.

“I can see it” and off they ran to the next snail… The British Airways Union Flag. Shrieks of joy. Quickly followed by the Ice Cream Snail with kids licking it!

Then off again. Gales of laughter.Up to the one opposite the Hotel, Metropole, “There it is – run Finlay” came the cry and they were off again. Then down again for the Grand Hotel and the Fishermen`s Museum and the one by the Carousel, one looking like sand plus a bicycle leaning against it. (Seemed symbolic to me as a mere pedestrian.

Next up to Brighton Town Hall and along to Donatello`s restaurant, with a snail outside, and we all had lunch. They looked after us well, three Coeliacs, including our two grandchildren.

Afterwards “I`m too tired to walk another step”. “Oh, that`s a shame as we can get ice creams on Palace Pier” “let`s go then, now.”

Down a small passageway past Brighton and Hove Buses snail and into the next square with a beautiful golden snail. Lots of smiles, lots of photographs. Through a narrow alley we were onto the Old Steyne. Lots of cries “There`s one over there.” “I can see one.” “There`s another.”

Finally onto the pier and we found an ice cream and two more snails but no sorbet or fruit lollipop, until we left. Fortunately we found one. Then down onto the beach and a sit down, only for ten minutes.

Then it was home time, via Churchill Square,and then the bus home… to another meal for the kids and a stiff drink for us after they had left.

A great day for everyone and particularly for me. I am delighted I was able to contribute successfully to the day.

15,000 paces (7 miles) for us and double that for Willow, our 4 year old granddaughter.

Snail - Golden
—————–
By the way I have had AMD for eight years.

US, all of us vs. AMD. The Video

Us,all of us, v. AMD – video

This is a terrifying example of what can happen; Watch our (Macular Society) new video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JfGlf_jlWeI.

 

I was appalled and I mean absolutely appalled, by this lady`s experiences, after just five years, though you can get  to the severe state in just two years.
Personally I have survived for eight years so far and I an still playing tennis even though I have total loss of central vision.
 

Based on my personal experiences

What can we do if or when it happens, the call to action;

  • Immediately start training your peripheral vision to take over as your dominant vision
  • Immediately start taking Lutein, 40 mg  per day,
  • Be angry, very angry, that it`s happened to you
  • Channel that anger into helping you devise ways of checking that the road is clear, ways of doing things, of finding new activities, of creating new friendships,
  • Join a support group because they`ve all been through it
  • Keep active, go for walks (somewhere it`s green), get some  good walking shoes, (much to my wife,,s horror I wore climbing boots every day everywhere for two years!)
  • Get better lighting at home and work and use bright colours
  • Think hard about how you can get the best from your smartphone
  • Think hard about everything  you do to make it as successful as you can
  • And your support group will give you help with other things like kitchen gadgets and cooking

You can rebuild your self-reliance, resilience and self-confidence.

We are.

 

What can we do to stop it happening? There are no guarantees:

  • Take Lutein with Ziaxanthin supplement, 10 mg (upto 40 mg) per day from the moment you watch the video. (Not medically proven  but I would sincerely recommend it. The video appalled me so do whatcever you can)
  • Naturally take a balanced diet, rich in kale, spinach etc
  • Wear sunglasses, particularly if you are blue eyed
  • Similarly wear a cap or other protection
  • Keep fighting fit because you will need to actively fight it and also keep your brain fit to fight it
  • Make sure you are up-to-date with smartphones Android or iphone

We can

Macular Society National Conference

  1. Speaker Simon. Not only do we inherit  blue eyes, we have all survived the Black Death. It`s the same gene (Complement Factor H.) 30% of the population have one copy. They are 3 times more likely to have AMD.  If you  ave 2 copies you are  5 times more likely. There are also links to Lymes Disease.
  2. Speaker David Crab of the Crab Lab  is trying to accurately measure the extent of vision loss.
  3. Speaker Bethany, a researcher into the sociology and effectiveness of support groups. Her preliminary findings are as follows:

– Knowledge and information

– Social getting together

– Sharing experiences

– Hints and tips

– Local pressure group.

Speaker Cathy Yelp, CEO Macular Society spoke about the New Ambition, which is to raise the profile of the charity with the objective of investing more into research.

We are unlikely to get a cure in time for ourselves so fundraising is for the next generations. All new funds to go for research.

Major research projects funded by the Society include Gene therapy; stem cells; delivery system for drops; 16 smaller research projects.

Increasing awareness, get  more supporter, more members, families, friends of families and friends of friends, and lots more.

A very substantial task, we will all have to help.

As Cathy said the starting point is raising awareness.

If you want me to talk to your group, please contact me and we can make the necessary to arrange a visit.

If you think the Macular Society ar doing a good job please donate here.

Alan Titchmarsh was wrong. AMD Garden.

Alan Titchmarsh was so wrong with vast amount of white both for the fencing and the wide marble-like paths with the added insult of topiary!

We give you Gorgeous Gardens for AMD people

The Key Components are probably:

AMD garden

  • Colour Contrasts are crucial.
  • Green is restful for the eyes.
  • White is great with green plants.
  • Yellow is bright and cheery.
  • Bright Red is good mixed with white.
  • Blue is good in vast banks , eg bluebells.
  • No pink (looks brown or dead) no brown (it is dead or dying,) no purple (as it looks like brown or black).
  • No mixed colours in one bloom as they blend into a mess or pink or brown.

So some suggestions and ideas are therefore are:

  • Hedges or shaped bushes of Forsythia or Hypericum (fences painted pale blue give a superb contrast ) In winter the sweet smelling shrubs. I also use Bay trees and Rosemary.
  • A Yellow bed, with polyanthus, daffodils, yellow tulips, yellow azalea, yellow dahlias, yellow gladioli, yellow chrysanthemums.
  • A Red and white bed: red tulips, Busa Lilies, roses, geraniums, peonies, dahlias, chrysanthemums.
  • An Orange bed: French Marigolds, orange osteospernums,.
  • A White bed, snowdrops, osteospernums, white flocks, white roses, white lilies, white dahlias, white chrysanthemums,
  • Kitchen garden of plants for touch or smell, eg sage, rosemary, mint, thyme, parsley, dwarf french beans, beetroot, leeks, onion sets (with Petunias), chives, garlic, lavender plus Tumbling Toms (some need a raised bed) and also night-scented stocks.
  • Wherever possible scented climbers,  like jasmine, honeysuckle, clematis, sweet peas,.
  • Indoor plants eg Greek Basil and Basil.

AMD support – Got poor sight? Join us.

 

Got Poor Sight ?

 

We know Reading is difficult.

We know crossing the road is difficult.

We know even just enjoying life is difficult.

 

So join us and learn how

to get the best out of life.

 

 

With Shoreham Macular Support Group

 

 

2nd Tuesday each month

10.00 – 11.30am

at the Shoreham Centre

LUTEIN – The Macular Society’s Comments

These are exciting times for research.  Promising new drugs are in development, important genetic discoveries are being made and we’ve seen the first safety trials of stem cells in the human eye.

 

A large study, the Age-Related Eye Disease Study 2 (AREDS 2) suggests that a high intake of lutein can reduce the risk of developing advanced AMD. The Aston researchers concluded: “For an informed population, many AMD participants were under-consuming nutrients considered to be useful for their condition.  Participants without AMD were more likely to reach recommended daily allowance values”.

[ Publsher’s Comment ; The AREDs 1 study is in fact more important.]

 

Lutein and zeaxanthin, key constituents of macular pigment, have been found in high levels in the retinal rods.  This suggests that macular pigment could play a significant role in keeping the retinal rods healthy and maintaining how well our eyes are able to adapt to the dark

 

Consider a nutritional supplement if you cannot be sure of getting high levels of antioxidants in your diet.  There is some evidence that a specific formula of antioxidants and zinc tested in the second Age-Related Eye Disease trial  (AREDS 2) can slow down the progression of AMD in some groups of people.  No supplement has been shown to cure AMD.  You should always talk to your ophthalmologist or optometrist before taking supplements, as they can interact with prescriptive medications.

 

The Macular Society has information on all aspects of living with macular conditions.  We also have local support groups and a training programme to help people learn to use their peripheral vision more effectively (called “skills for seeing”).  We have a professional, confidential telephone counselling service, a befriending service and a team of “buddies” who can provide reassurance on injections and visual hallucinations caused by Charles Bonnet Syndrome

 

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