Tony & Gill Withers (Click the link to e-mail Tony).
A Flight Room 2
18 Petersham Drive, Alvaston, Derby DE24 0JU
Tel:
Home: 01332 571998
This is info supplied by Tony:
Having been a sub-postmaster and local councillor in Ilfracombe in Devon, my wife
Gill and I moved to Derby in December 1997 because we couldn't find suitable accommodation
to cope with my MS in the Ilfracombe area and anyway the requisite welfare and medical
services are better here. I say that despite being one of the County Councillors
on the NHS liaison committee.
I worked for a short time in the Employment Service
as a front-line member then moved on to work for Derby City Council as a temp in
the Housing Department.
When I was off sick at the time of completing 2 years service the council declined
to renew my contract. At that point, as I was already drawing a substantial part
of a War Pension due to my lack of mobility, I had the chance to add an inability
to work supplement for both Gill, as my carer, and I, so I also took early retirement
from the council and we've been freed up to do our own things.
In 2003 and 2004 we
spent 3 months early in each year on the south coast of Spain which helped us to
get through the winters.
This year however Gill's been having a few problems with her eyesight so we've been
hanging around here waiting to get specialist treatment. It's working but only slowly,
so we're not sure what the future holds just yet, but I have to say that, since the
Air Force knew about my MS in 1973 and didn't tell me, it gives me a nice warm feeling
to be taking my nice monthly chunk of money straight out of the MOD(Air) pot of gold.
Also,
I've had a few other thoughts on Entry members who I bumped into whilst I was still
in the service.
I met Tony Benstead who was an officer, I think as a navigator, and
David (NB Please don't call me "DES", no-one in my office knows about my former nickname)
Maudesley an engineering officer who looked to be going places.
The last time I was in touch with Brian ("Scottie") Spence he was a Flt Lt at Benson
in about 1990.
Both Bob Slack and Dick Wilson were at the RAF College Cranwell in
No 91 Entry with me. We all commissioned in May 1967 though both Bob and Dick were
engineering officers and I was a GD Nav.