It's never too late to piece things together
05/09/2008
Octogenarian Ted Howard, from Ramsey, spent 15 years piecing together 2,000 fragments of love letters to his late wife, which she tore up when she caught someone else reading it. At the time he never realised that by doing so he would end up writing an autobiography after developing computer skills - and scoop the Special Judging Panel award at the regional learndirect Achievement Award ceremony.
Ted wrote the love letters to his wife on hotel writing paper as he travelled around the UK, Ireland, France and Holland in the late 1940s and early 1950s. But his wife tore each one into more than 20 pieces - creating more than 2,000 fragments, and after her death he set about the painstaking task of piecing the fragments together for about an hour every day for some 15 years.
Ted then wrote an autobiography about his life called “Life on the Fen Edge”, after developing his writing skills by studying on-line literacy courses with learndirect - and he is now planning to write a book about the letters themselves. His remarkable progression in newly-found writing skills was recognised when he won the Special Judging Panel Award at the East regional learndirect achievement awards in Norwich in June. Part of his prize was a voucher for a Virgin Experience - and he's chosen to take a helicopter ride. He will now go through to represent the East of England at the National Awards ceremony in London in October.
But Ted is not the only mature learner to have discovered skills later in life. Hundreds are now benefitting from on-line literacy, numeracy and IT courses provided by learndirect.
To find out more visit the website below or call free on 08000 150 450 from 7am to 11pm 7 days a week. Alternatively write to: Learndirect, PO Box 900, Leicester, LE1 6ER.