Maldon

I was feeling a bit sorry for myself when I remembered a lovely lady in her 70s who was totally blind and extremely  deaf. She could talk very well but to have a conversation with her one had to hold her hand and use the deaf and dumb alphabet.  She was Miss Annie Smith and lived in a residential home foe blind and partially blind people in Maldon, Essex.

I first met Miss Smith when I was 12 or 13.  My mother and I went to stay at the home for a fortnight's holiday.  The house was a small villa with a fairly large garden.  On either side of the paths round the garden was a railing at waist height so that a blind person could walk independently round  between the flower and vegetable beds. But the most exciting thing for me was the sight of three railway carriages in the garden.  Two of these were fitted up as bedrooms with twin beds while the third was a sitting room with easy chairs and a table on which were packs of Braille-marked playing cards and a box of large black dominoes with raised brass spots.  We were to sleep in one of the carriages and take our meals in the house.
Miss Smith and I had many conversations.  She had a great sense of humour.  It was Carnival Week and I told her about the floats and described the costumes.  She said no-one had told her about the Carnival.  When we left she gave me a present of a little gold cross and chain.

Now for one of my coincidences.  I was thinking about writing this blog and trying to remember the address.  I turned on the radio  and a man was talking  on "Word of Mouth  abot people who put messages in bottles and throw them into the sea.  In one bottle was found a message saying   "Send this message to my wife at 66 Wantz Road, Maldon, Essex".  It was as though a light had been switched on in my head!  I thought "That's it.  We stayed at 22 Wantz Road.  Well I'll be blowed!".