Richard Jarman, known to many as Dick, is one of the originals in life, without doubt a one off. He has the kind of personality that makes you want to go up to him and warmly shake his hand, something you have to do with great care. The hand offered to me when we first met was covered in deep purple bruising, "Someone I met last week, didn't know their own strength" he jokingly said to me. In fact anything other than gentle pressure on Dick's skin produces this dramatic effect, just one of the consequences of the medication he is now on. To say that Dick is not a well man would be the understatement of the year. In truth, he has been ill since he was 6 months old and has been told by doctors more times than he can remember that he should not be alive!

Dick was born in Sheffield in 1939, the youngest of ten children. One of his earliest memories is of his mother pulling the tail off the rocking horse in the hospital ward where he spent a good bit of his time. His chest problems were so acute that when the rest of the family went off to the air-raid shelter in the garden, he and his mother lay in the special steel shelter built in the front room of their house. His brothers found the flat roof of the shelter very useful for playing table-tennis on. Dick did his best to attend primary school but his attendance was not too good. Playing any kind of sport was not possible and he found himself doing needlework with the girls instead. From the beginning of Dick's illness doctors found a clear diagnosis very difficult. More light was shone onto the problem when a mobile X-Ray unit visited his school in 1948. Severe scarring was discovered on his lungs and doctors jumped to the conclusion that he had TB. When he was 10 years old, it was decided to send Dick to an 'Open Air School'. Some readers may remember or even have attended these in the late 40s and 50s. You certainly got air, plus every meal of the day, even your breakfast, but precious little academic education. A result being that Dick was not able to read until he was 14 years old. In fact it was a close friend who would sit and read to Dick while he was in bed, who could be credited with teaching him to read. Not, I might add, the Janet and John books found in schools in those days, but Western comic books with heroes like Tex Ritter and the Lone Ranger! Once the spark had ignited the flame, Dick became an avid reader devouring everything in sight. Doctors continued to try to find out exactly what was wrong with him and he went into hospital in 1952 for what was then a very crude form of Endoscopy. Pipes were threaded down his throat and a dye was inserted into his lungs while X-Rays were taken. It was one of the most unpleasant and painful experiences of his life. There was no anaesthetic spray in those days. From the results of this operation doctors finally diagnosed that he had Bronchiectasis, something akin to Cystic fibrosis.

The world of work beckoned when Dick was 15 years old but prospects were not good. Being Sheffield a job making penknives was offered. Dick did not fancy this at all and wanted to make his own way in life so he took a job fitting lorry tyres in a National Wholesale Company. Needless to say this nearly killed him. Seeing Dick severely out of breath one day, the manager was very concerned and transferred him to the cycle department. Never one to let grass grow under his feet Dick was made manager after a short period of time. After two years he was asked to become a rep for the company selling cycle parts. At no time did he ever tell anyone of his medical problem, he just got on with the job.

It was at this point in his life that he met his future wife Janet at a dance in Sheffield town hall. Not that Dick did a lot of dancing but as you will see, if there was something to do Dick would always have a go. Wedding bells rang out in March 1961 after Janet had finally agreed to go out with Dick. The problem was that he kept asking her out on a Sunday and she, wanted to go to Church. When Dick discovered the reason for her refusals he solved the problem by going to Church with her! Young people from the church benefited from Dick's drive and enthusiasm when together with Janet he started a Junior Amateur Dramatic Society. For four years he wrote and produced plays to the delight of all concerned. Camping trips were arranged even though Dick found walking any distance difficult. On one occasion members of the group had to take it in turns to push him to the top of Mam Tor in Derbyshire.

By the time he was 22 years old Dick was selling Phillips Lighting around the country. He managed to outsell the other 599 reps and won a prize of 5 days in Amsterdam. He told me that he behaved himself, but then Janet was in the room at the time! His ability to sell ice cubes to the Eskimos came to the notice of Burgess Power Tools, based in Sapcote. He took on the job of sales rep for the whole of the North of England and after 18 months was made acting sales manager. In 1968 Dick and Janet moved to a house in Croft. By now Dick was being asked to travel all over Europe and began to take on more of a responsibility for production and planning and was eventually made Assistant Managing Director. Drive, determination and pure strength of will to succeed despite his health meant that he was leaving home at 7am. and arriving back home at 9pm. Despite this punishing work load Dick wanted to put back something into society and between 1969 and 1971 he spent three evenings a week helping the male orderlies to look after the patients at Carlton Hayes Hospital. He even found time to organised a couple of concerts for the patients. Dick became a Round Tabler in 1976 and served on numerous committees, including fund raising. Throughout his life constant visits to doctors and hospitals became the norm. A visit to the London Road Chest Clinic to see a Dr Brough resulted in Dick's first visit to Norfolk. Holidays were not part of the Jarman life style, he didn't have time, and anyway he couldn't afford it!í. The doctor told him that it wouldn't cost a penny and proceeded to show him a postcard of a beautiful country mansion in Holt, Norfolk. It was, in fact, a convalescent home next to Kelling Hospital. Dick knew that the strain on his health was beginning to tell so he decided to speak to the Managing Director of his company. His boss was very understanding and sympathic and by the end of the week Dick was on his way to Norfolk. For the next 5 years he made two fortnightly visits a year to the Convalescent Home Each morning his routine included a session where one of the nurses made a good impression of playing the drums on his chest, to move the fluid on his lungs and bronchial tubes. After two weeks, Dick would return to work refreshed and his batteries recharged and rattling with antibiotics and vitamin pills.

In 1973 Dick decided that it was time for him to branch out on his own and in March of that year he began selling power tools by post all over the U.K.. To begin with the warehouse was his own garage but later in the year the business moved to Market Harborough. October saw another visit to the Convalescent Home which for the duration of his visit became a branch of the business with Janet taking over all the correspondence for Dick to deal with. The level of orders reached a point where larger premises were needed and in 1977 Dick purchased the property now occupied by Cromwell Mowers. Despite his incredible strength of character the strain of running an ever expanding and successful business caused his body to say enough is enough, and in 1980 he became very ill with pneumonia again. By 1982 Dick had to admit that he was too ill to carry on running the whole business and so sold part of it to his advertising agent. By this point in time he was also selling Venetian blinds and the Group turnover had reached £1.5 million. During 1980 Dick had bought and had rebuilt a 1929 Austin 7 Swallow motor car and after the business was sold, together with Janet he embarked on a fund-raising trip from Market Harborough to Brighton, finally being able to send a cheque for £2,500 to Stoke Manderville Hospital. Dick retained control of an import/export company until 1986 when he closed it down. He admits that he became very frustrated at being unable to work after this time but has managed to channel his energies into more Charity and fund raising activities, continually looking for new challenges and new ways of helping others. As a young man he played some cricket, always limited by his personal lack of oxygen. Not to be defeated in his love for the game he started to umpire charity matches and only gave this up four years ago. His Christian faith was rekindled in 1993 when he started attending Market Harborough Methodist Church and as with everything else in his life it was full involvement or nothing. He now edits, with Janet's help The Ambassador, the local district Methodist magazine. He was involved in starting up the Scanner Appeal which led to the setting up of the Kibworth Medical Trust. He did the designs for the appeal leaflet and remains involved through Janet who is the Secretary and Treasurer of the Trust.

I asked Dick if there was anything that he really regretted not being able to do in life. Amazingly he had wanted to join the army. His Grandfather, Father, and all his brothers had been in the army with the Royal Army Medical Corps. Dick was even turned down for National Service, being classified as grade 4. What he asked the doctor did grade 5 mean, "It means you're dead" was the answer. As a music lover Dick would have loved to have had the chance to sing Opera and when younger on his better days was able to imitate Mario Lanza.

Dick and Janet now live in Slawston having moved there in 1976. Dick now has oxygen piped into all the rooms in the house. It is now an effort to even get into the dinning room but he is not downhearted and is keen to show me the wonderful view of the countryside visible from his bed. Dick has been in hospital more times than he can remember and has had pneumonia at least a dozen times. He appreciates all that life has given to him especially as he has been told on more than one occasion he had not long to live. When he was leaving hospital in May of this year one of the Junior Registrars told him he had done very well bearing in mind his age. Dick was quick to praise the all the doctors who have helped him especially his Specialist Dr Wales and his GPs Drs Kilpatrick & Bell. The Registrar took his hand looked him straight in the eye and said don't forget your attitude. The medical cabinet in Dick's room is more like the local chemist as he takes 14 different types of medication several times a day as well as pain killers. But despite all this Dick's greatest satisfaction in life has been helping other people, whether raising money or giving advice. Dick has great sympathy for people who develop severe illness late in life after being previously being fully fit. His own illness has to some extent become a natural part of life. He is convinced that given perfect health during his life he would not have achieved what he has, he would not have had to drive himself so hard. It is that determination not to give in that hits you when he speaks to you and the fact that there is no bitterness about the cards that life has dealt to him.

Meeting and interviewing Dick has been an education and a privilege.

© Michael Pearce 1997

FOOTNOTE

Dick Jarman's fight for life finally ended April 1998

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stephen.poyzer@which.net or jemeny@globalnet.co.uk

 © Kibworth & District Chronicle 1998