Victory Over Blindness

I was at the cinema tonight and decided to catch the tram into Manchester instead of driving, and I was glad I did.

This statue has just been erected outside Piccadilly station and is called Victory Over Blindness by Johanna Domke-Guyot.

There were two plinths (one of which was in Braille) and it read:

Remembering the returning blind veterans of the First World War.
More than 3,000 veterans lost their sight as a result of their service in the First World War. Making their way home from the front, they began their journey to rebuild their lives after sight loss.
In 1915 a charity was founded to support them.
Blind Veterans UK, formerly known as St Dunstan's, has continued to support thousands more blind veterans to live independently as they begin that same journey today.
Blind Veterans UK, Rebuilding lives after sight loss.

It was a pretty powerful statue and had the same impact when you looked at it from behind.

As I was stood there, two young guys walked up to it as one told the other he was going to read out the plinth to him. It turned out his friend had only 10% vision.

My grandma was registered blind in her 30's so I spent all my life watching her trying to live without her sight.

I then went to meet the ladies at book club to watch A Star Is Born. Everyone said they cry at the drop of a hat - whereas I never do - but it turns out I was the only one crying into my tissue at the end of the film!

Quote for today:
I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.
- Helen Keller