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From: Alan Badmington
Date: 09 Oct 2006
Time: 15:07:30 -0500
Remote Name: 81.77.8.184
Hi Sarah, Please call me Alan - 'Mr Badmington' makes me feel SO old. ;-) I am most grateful to you for taking the time to write to me. Your generous comments were greatly appreciated. Did I experience any mechanical failure? Relatively little, considering the number of hours that I wore it daily. I always carried a spare Masker and components with me. However, there was one occasion when the device really let me down in a very bad way. Having developed my writing skills in order to compensate for my speech problems, I became editor of my Police Force newspaper/magazine. And, in that capacity, I was invited to prepare a ‘This is Your Life’ book for a retiring Chief Constable. I produced an impressive album containing 100 photographs, together with accompanying type-written accounts of the relevant happenings that had occurred within his life (and lengthy police career). Wearing the Edinburgh Masker, I plucked up the courage to present it to him in front of about 200 people at a farewell dinner arranged in his honour. (I wasn’t asked, I volunteered. I had written the script and I wanted the credit). ;-) I spoke reasonably well for the first five minutes, or so, stuttering moderately, but then disaster occurred. One of the wires became dislodged and the masking sound ceased. I could hear my voice. I had severe problems with the remainder of the presentation, and when it was completed my clothing was drenched in perspiration. I felt crestfallen and devastated in front of such a distinguished audience. Yet only a few minutes earlier (before the device had failed) I had managed to undertake the role of presenter. When the Masker had been working, I could not hear my own voice - I was detached from the occasion. However, once the masking sound had been removed, I experienced great difficulty and reverted to my old speech behaviours. But at least I had not avoided the situation. I wish you every success with your studies. Kindest regards Alan