IN A change to the advertised programme, Elizabeth Reilly gave an inspiring and humorous talk about her dogged search for answers to the chronic pain she suffered following an accident in 2005.

Elizabeth explained how she had moved to Gloucestershire in 2004, following her husband’s retirement, with the intention of spending more time working in her new garden and indulging her passion for walking, in the Cotswolds and on the Malvern Hills. It was on one of these walks, on an idyllic summer evening in 2005, when she was climbing over a stile which suddenly collapsed leaving her straddled across a fence, causing an injury that resulted in years of chronic pain and suffering. Determined to get back to a full and active life and the walking she loved, Elizabeth described how she set about exploring the numerous treatments available, both mainstream and complementary, in her quest for answers.

Elizabeth shared the ups and downs, setbacks and triumphs of her journey with her audience at the Civic Centre in Pershore. She related with humour the challenges she faced in gaining understanding of her problems, before finally turning her life around. This was an engaging and uplifting story and an inspiration to all who suffer chronic pain.

Elizabeth has written about her experience in book entitled “Fighting Back. One woman’s search for answers to chronic pain” and can be contacted at liz_reilly@btinternet.com.

Next month, on Tuesday, May17 at 2.15pm at the Civic Centre in Pershore, Graham Sutherland takes a look at the antics of some of the oddballs in English History in a talk entitled “English Eccentrics.”

JOHN AIREY