Bill Skipworth, who qualified as a dentist in 1981, gave us talk not only about his early life but also about his journey through the traumatic loss of sight that he experienced as a result of glaucoma, his partial recovery and the unusual side effects of his blindness, in his case synesthesia.
Bill was born in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, where his family had roots going back over five hundred years. Some of his earliest memories of childhood, went back to family holidays, when he was only four years old in Mablethorpe, and particularly the Golden Sands Caravan Park where he recalls pestering his father for a bicycle.
However, his father thought he was too young but under pressure eventually acceded to Bill’s pleas and then spent a larger part of his holiday having to push Bill around until he finally got his balance and was able to ride off, not however knowing how to safely come to a stop. This resulted in the inevitable tumble and tears. His other clearest memory of this time were visits to the ‘milk bar’ where delights such as hot dogs, onions and milkshakes were on offer.
He attended a secondary modern school in Scunthorpe – a school which he he described as rough – and where he was as a rather weedy boy (his description). He was subjected to bullying by a particularly unpleasant, larger boy until, having related his dilemma to his father, was advised to thump the bully on the nose. Once he had overcome his uncertainty of such a drastic action, that was the end of the bullying.
The school authorities thought that most of its pupils were too thick for O level exams. However, Bill was keen to continue with his education and went on to get his A levels at a sixth form college following which he applied for a science-based degree course at Reading University. There he found that many of his fellow students had the commonly had views about Northeners, in that they all lived with outside toilets and wore flat caps.
Not surprisingly this was not a happy time, compounded by Bill’s realisation that he hated the course he was on. Bill left Reading and returned home where his mother found him a job at the nearby Flixborough chemical plant. Bill however, had other plans and settled on a dentistry course at Liverpool University, much to his mother’s disgust, having found him a job locally. His decision was, however, providential as shortly after this the plant was destroyed by an explosion, resulting in the deaths of 28 men, withight with a further 36 seriously injured. It was around this time in Bill’s life that he met a group of Christians and became himself a believer with a faith he still holds today.
Bill qualified as a dentist, having enjoyed his course and time at Liverpool, and in 1981 got a job in Sheffield, married, had a family and has been here ever since. However, following a bout of ‘flu, Bill experienced disrupted vision in his right eye which on investigation was the result of high internal pressure in his eyeball, otherwise known as glaucoma. He underwent steroid treatment which ultimately was not successful, and then had laser treatment which was he said like having a red hot poker in the eye and he suffered excruciating pain for some time all to no avail as he became blind in that eye. Following this Bill remained at work, making adjustments to take into account his now altered vision, and had a career which spanned some 30 years.
One Friday afternoon, whilst on a tram, Bill had a clear and compelling thought that he should go to the eye department at hospital as he had been having trouble with his left eye. His doctor said that there was a new treatment involving a silicone implant. However, this did run the risk of a cataract developing which duly occurred, meaning that Bill could no longer carry on his work as a dentist.
Bill as a child had been musical and had learnt the piano and achieved a Grade 8 qualification by the age of eighteen and continued to enjoy playing, which he could do even though he now had no sight. It was at his time that he noticed that as he played he could see colours these depending on which key he was playing in. This is known a synesthesia, or Charles Bonnet Syndrome, a neurological condition which causes people who have lost their sight to see images that are not really there. These can be simple colours or hallucinations of people, objects and landscapes. Bill then described being out with his wife in Castleton where he was convinced that he was walking into a deep pit whilst strolling along the pavement, seeing a brick wall in front of him and perhaps more alarmingly thinking that Hyacinth Bucket was sitting at his table in a café.
More recently Bill was able to have further surgery and much to his relief, and no doubt that of his family, he could see again. Even though this remains impaired, it is a joy to him that he has some restored vision.
Bill has written a book about his experiences, and his faith, entitled ‘Now I See,’ copies of which are available at the Sheffield Royal Society for the Blind shop in Mappin Street, or on Amazon (note, Amazon currently have only three copies remaining).
It was an entertaining and uplifting talk, Bill overcoming adversity with strength and good humour.