Pamper Day

Saturday 26th November ar The Taro Centre, Petersfield, there will be a Pamper Day held in aid of Alton-Petersfield MS. As well as contact details below you can also contact Bernie on 01420 472556 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Social Meeting 10th November

At this meeting we will be addressed by Alan Brigman again who is an effective public speaker and I'm sure he'll keep us entertained. I know alot of you enjoyed his last visit back in the Summer. We will also give those present an update on what's happening at Christmas and in the New Year, so it would be nice to see as many of you there as possible.

MS Specialist Nurse

We have a new MS Specialist Nurse for the Petersfield area, Annabella Pearce. Annabella is a married lady with a young son who lives locally. After qualifying she initially worked for the Wessex Neurological Centre for three and a half years. Whilst there she completed a specialist Neurological degree. She then moved to the Southampton City PCT and worked as a District Nurse. She has completed her Masters Degree in May 2011 and has both a proffesional and personal interest in Multiple Sclerosis.

You can contact Annabella wh o is the MS Specialist Nurse, South East Region. Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, unit 120, Fareham Reach, 166 Fareham Road, Gosport, Hants. Tel: 01329 224532. Mob: 07887 556021. Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Collection M & S

On Saturday 12th September we had a collection and information table outside Marks and Spencer, Alton. It was quite a nice day and we met lots of lovely people and the collection total was £175.27. I want to thank Margaret for organising things and a special thank you to those who came down to help out.

Factory Shop charity for the year

Earlier this year Margaret Sibley saw a Newspaper article informing the people of Alton that the New Factory Shop was opening a store in Alton. They were also inviting local groups to write in and apply to be the chosen charity of the shop for the year. I am now able to let you all know that we were lucky enough to be chosen as their charity for the year.

Great news for Bernard Wallis

I know that you all remember Bernard Wallis who moved up to Scotland quite recently. After his move he registered with Doctors in Scotland and was then sent to a Neurologist who thought it rather odd that he had never had an MRI scan. He has subsequently had a scan and according to the Neurologist quite clearly shows that he has not infact got MS. As you can imagine this was quite a shock for Bernard as he has spent the last 15 years living with the belief that he had MS. After getting over the initial shock of the revelation and being told that it would appear that he had originally had a stroke which gave him symptons similar to MS. He was quite angry and even more frustrated when the Neurologists told him that apart from what appears to be a misdiagnosis and the subsequent lack of Stroke treatment he went on to have a series on mini strokes over the last 15 years. Bernard believed that he was having MS relapses but these were obviously the mini strokes that went untreated. We are all glad that he is now recieving the appropriate treatment, and he is getting help with his right arm through Physio as well.

He send his regards to everybody and says that he is glad he made the move. I should think so, they seem to have things about right in Scotland!

 Alton and Petersfield Branch Support Officer

 Spiro's leaving.     Diane arrives 

I'm not sure if all of you know that Spiro Sueref who has been our Support Officer for a number of years has moved away. He has moved to share a house with his girlfriend Julie in or near Lymington.We havn't had chance to give him a send off yet but I'm sure he'll be at a Christmas event.(more on that later) I know that he will keep in touch and let us know how he is getting on from time to time. I know you will all join me in wishing and Julie all the best for the future. We did think that we were going to have a problem finding another support officer, however, I am pleased to be able to announce that Diane Homans has joined the fold recently and taken on the role of Support Officer. Diane has not got MS but is a registered nurse who has been working within the NHS for a number of years. It would appear that she knows quite a number of people that we might come into contact with including the MS Specialist Nurse for Alton, Margaret Topping. Diane will get to meet alot of you through our social meetings. We will give you all updated contact information so that should you wish to speak to the Support Officer you can.

Summer BBQ

This years summer BBQ was held on Sunday 7th August at Headley Park Hotel. As the guests arrived the Sun was shining through broken cloud. The Hotel had arranged Gazeebo's and Pub Bench Style tables and chairs adjacent to a lovely Oak tree which gave us plenty of shade when the sun shone brightly. This venue was a departure from previous years and I noted that a couple of our more prominent members and helpers were feeling a little out on a limb as they had nothing to do. The Hotel staff had an were doing everything which was the whole point of choosing this venue this year. The conversation and Coffee were flowing freely and sadly just before the BBQ was to be served the threatened rain appeared. There was no need to panic as all we had to do was move a matter of yards into the Hotel Ballroom. Once there the chatter resumed and continued throughout Lunch which was also brought inside. People helped themselves to a generous spread of BBQ'd Chicken, Pork, Potato's, Beef Burgers, Salad and much more, sitting at large circular tables which had been previously laid. The Ballroom echoed with the sound of much conversation and the clatter of cutlery whilst people enjoyed a leisurely and unpressured lunch. Whilst drinking Coffee people milled about deeply engaged with conversations and general chatter until about 3.30pm when it was time to drift of. As a number of us were leaving we took a stroll (including several wheelchairs) across the grounds to the very pituresque lake. I would like to thank everybody who came along and I have been told by many that they had a lovely lunch.                                                     

July Evening meeting

Thursday July 14th 7.30pm at Orchard House, Alton was the venue for the latest social meeting. The meeting was well attended by various members and were treated to an enthralling and generally amusing talk by Mr Alan Bridgman. The talk was based upon the Warnborough Hoard, and Mr Bridgmans involvement as a serving police sergent at the time. The Warnborough Hoard is so called because it was Roman Coins that were found and subsequently dug up by metal detectorists in the dead of night. I have been informed by numerous members that the evening was very interesting, lighthearted and that Mr Bridgman is a very effective public speaker and easy to listen to. Alan has a couple of other talks in his repotoir and it is expected that he will return in the furture.

                                                 Useful holiday info                            

I would also like to add Tudor Holiday Lodges, Looe, Cornwall as they have been reccomended to me (I have not yet stayed there myself). These are recently purpose built wheelchair accessible holiday chalets. Viewing their website www.tudorlodges.co.uk the chalets appear to be very well presented, spacious and in very nice surroundings. According to their literature they have a bewildering array of equipment for use, free of charge which includes hoists, shower chairs etc. Email. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

I have been reliably informed that there is a beautifully adapted and appointed holiday complex within a farm in Norfolk. The general description would be that there are two 3 /4 bedroom houses both have a downstairs bedroom with profiling beds and wet rooms. Two further one bedroom single storey Chalets have full facilities. Please check the following link for full details. www.norfolkcottages.net

There is also a link i would like to publish relating to respite care which some of you might find useful at some point, i have not used any of these facilities personally and as a result can't vouch for them but please take a look. www.vitalise.org.uk

GO ON, I DARE YOU!

We'd love to insert info or articles written by our members.  Why not write about a good place you have visited, or write a story or poem or two?

Marksman Industrail Ltd are the kind sponsors of this Newsletter and I would like to thank them for their help and support.