Page 62 - She's One Crazy Lady!

and very fit, male teacher, Chris. Chris was an established player and very, very competitive. Out of the hundreds of games we must have played, I can remember winning only one! I also tried badminton with a very good table tennis friend of mine, Anne Lenton, who was older than me and just as competitive. On a whim, never having played a competitive game of badminton, we entered a ladies doubles tournament and, much to the surprise of everyone and ourselves, we reached the final... beginner’s luck! Anne, alongside her family, proved to be yet another wonderful friend and confidante for many years. Living very close to us when we lived at Barton Seagrave, she knew Mum very well and loved to go and visit her, always planting a ‘lipsticky’ kiss on Mum’s cheek. Anne also helped us on many occasions when we (Crazy Hats) had stands in the shopping centres – she was such a fun-loving person.
As mentioned previously, with Dad’s interest in golf he pushed and pushed for me to take it up and arranged for me to have lessons at Kettering Golf Club as they were looking for younger players. I was told I had a good eye for the ball and a good swing, but to me, it was a spoiled walk and I was too impatient, with each round taking far too long. I preferred a ‘moving’ ball. At sixteen I was also the only young female in the club and felt I didn’t fit in or that they really didn’t want me there – certainly not after the ‘bunker’ incident with Mum and me!
My love of walking was almost an obsession with me and for years when I was at Whitefriars and at Victoria Junior School I organised school teams to enter the Waendel Walk for the one day, nine-mile route, our school often winning the award for the largest school team.
At one stage, knowing Jacquie and I could cover the required distance of a marathon in just under six hours, and prove it, I entered the London Marathon and was over the moon to get a place. Although I was fit, I decided to ‘up’ my levels of stamina, strength and fitness by joining a gym. With the initial introduction, by an assigned trainer, I was given a programme to follow but found myself ignoring the guidance to build up slowly and just do a few repetitions at a time; I did more. My knees began to suffer so I took myself off to the doctors. Dr Kownacki told me to bend over so that my back could be examined. My back? He called in his colleague, Dr Lawrence, well known for being the ‘back doctor’
of the practice. I can remember him rubbing his hands together in glee, delighted he had a back problem to solve. I thought I’d gone for my knees! I was asked to lie on the couch in the foetal position! Before I knew it Dr. Lawrence had his knee in the small of my back and, with his hands, manipulated the base of my spine. Well, I wasn’t expecting that! I could feel and hear a ‘click’ and was
“Before I knew it Dr. Lawrence had his knee
in the small of my back and, with his hands, manipulated the base of my spine.
”
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