A special party was held for Gail Bretherton who has taken early retirement as Manager of the Warrington Visually Impaired People (WVIP) after 29 years of dedicated service.
Gail from Westbrook had a wonderful send-off at the centre and was treated to the iconic sound of “Gail Bretherton – This is Your Life.”
Colleague Adrian Horn speaking in an Irish accent showed everyone video clips of her life at the VIP which had members in stitches.
He said: “I am a bit of a thespian and I have often roped Gail and Howard into sketches and plays for the member’s pen drives. We would deliver the pen drives during the pandemic to our isolated members who would put them into their Boom Boxes. The content of the pen drives when plugged into the Boom Boxes enable members to listen to what is going on in the society. I also record books, quizzes and funny stuff and laugh at the exploits of office staff especially the panto edition at Christmas that Gail made her debut in.
“Having a live audience today and hearing the reaction to our version of “This is your life” is fantastic. Gail went beetroot especially as I had a running theme of the search by members trying to get hold of the secret recipe for her famous trifle. She treats it as a well-guarded secret. Everyone says it is delicious, hence the need to discover the secret.”
Dorothy who starred in one of Adrian’s video extracts said: “When Gail took over from Bob, we knew that she had big boots to fill, and she has done a wonderful job. She has introduced three-course hot meals and annual holidays to Blackpool & Llandudno and further afield to the Isle of Wight. My favourite has been members’ birthday parties with a tot of whisky after which we are heard singing all the way home on the mini buses.”
Another member, Rose said: “She has created a Wednesday chair exercise club, occasionally we get tied up with the long elastic exercise bands that we use, but Gail always sorts us out. When the pleasant weather arrives, we visit to Cheshire parks to walk or in some cases ride bikes. It is great fun and something that we could never do by ourselves.”
Gail is often praised for her caring approach, mindfulness and advice given to members. She managed the vital home visitor service ensuring that members receive help at home on a regular basis. When the Eye Clinic at Warrington General Hospital required a help desk, she made sure that the WVIP provided funding that someone was there to provide the cover as well as the advice for those who experience sight loss in all its forms.
Trustee Geoff Settle said: “Gail is a fantastic people person and the linchpin of the organisation introducing many innovative ideas and changes. She is extremely focused on the member’s needs and fights extremely hard for them in many ways.
“Next year is the society’s 100th anniversary and I know that Gail will be making sure that the particular key role it has played in the Town in promoting the wellbeing of members and championing visual impairment in Warrington Social History is acknowledged and celebrated.
“I believe that with the help of Janice Hayes former Principal Manager at Warrington Museum and Adrian we may see a “This is Your Life” extravaganza for the Society anniversary in 2023 and a blue plaque on the Museum Street wall of the building but that is a story for Gail to tell.”
2 Comments
Smashing story such a lovely lady who always keeps me in line.
Congratulations