Ralph Warburton Update Feb. 2025

 Ralph Warburton Update Feb. 2025

A few days before Christmas I dropped into Clarendon Court Care Home to see Ralph Warburton. I am ashamed to say that it has been 12 months since I saw him last. 

At that time, he was unable to talk, and his movement was severely restricted, and he looked very poorly as a consequence of the serious stroke he had suffered. 

This time however, it was a different Ralph that greeted me as I walked into his pristine room on the upper floor. He was watching a game show on the large screen and no doubt, in his previous role as quiz supremo, revelling in answering all the questions that the contestants were struggling with. 

Sadly, Ralph still cannot talk, his speech has not returned. However, hardly had I arrived than a lovely lady followed me into the room. She was the occupational therapist and told me of the two ladies who had visited Ralph just a day or so before. 

She said to Ralph, sing Peter a Christmas carol, whereupon, to my absolute amazement, Ralph and his therapist burst into a verse of We Three Kings with Ralph singing away with enormous joy. This was followed by another number from one of the musicals which Ralph again belted out which was even better and all I could do was applaud them both in a state of amazement, for although he still cannot talk, he can sing and there is no doubt that his brain is as sharp as ever.

Newcomers into our community may not have heard about Ralph's whirlwind personality and his determination to get involved in virtually every aspect of village activities, the football team being one of his favourites, always followed by his AoL excellent pitchside report. I suspect the WI and Mothers Union being the only ones to escape his input, although I am probably wrong about that! 

One of his tenets was that the most effective committee was a committee of one, which didn't necessarily endear him to all. None the less he certainly got things done and so I took the opportunity to update him on some of the local news over the past year, mostly on the bodies that he was involved in at some time or other. He listened intently, occasionally rolling his eyes as I covered the Parish Council, Turnpike Field, Public Hall, Cemetery Board, pubs and St James Church which was one of his last fundraising campaigns. 

During Lockdown he had delivered to vulnerable local people, countless boxes of fruit and veg or takeaways on behalf of The Lord Combermere, which had assumed the role of clearing house.

As I rounded off my monologue, he grabbed my wrist with his left hand, the only side of his body which he still has some use of, to thank me. He does appreciate visitors and it's the least we can do in view of what he has done for us down the decades.

Peter Morgan