Dr Desborough Retires
Dr Stephen
Desborough, long time stalwart and senior partner at the Wellesbourne Medical
Practice retired on 27th May after more than thirty years working in
the village. After graduating from Cambridge University he worked first at St Thomas’s Hospital and then Lewisham Hospital before taking up a short service
commission in the Royal Navy. He was posted to Haslar Hospital in Portsmouth and spent two years at sea, mostly in the Atlantic sailing around North, Central and South America and the West Indies.
He arrived in
Wellesbourne in 1980. The practice was then much smaller with four doctors (all
men) and one part-time practice nurse who did mostly dressings. Those were the
days when the doctors did all their own night calls. They were also attached to
the Monroe Devis Maternity Hospital in Tiddington, so a doctor’s sudden and
prolonged disappearance from the surgery was not uncommon. This was also the
time before the MMR vaccine when measles epidemics were still common. He remembers
making 32 measles visits in one weekend. Times have changed in many ways since
then. There have been three major rebuilding projects at the Wellesbourne
surgery and one at Kineton – and there are a lot more staff. Much emphasis is
now placed on preventing chronic problems caused by heart disease, high blood
pressure, diabetes, depression, etc. as well as dealing directly with the illnesses.
Dr Desborough now hands over to Dr Joanna Dowell who has become
senior partner and who will continue to lead an excellent team of doctors,
nurses and receptionists.
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Dr Desborough will be replaced by Dr Balraj Sanghera
who was previously a GP in Cambridge.
Dr Desborough says he was lucky to have worked in such a lovely area with a great set of patients.
He well remembers having been called out to an elderly lady who had
unfortunately broken her leg. As they waited for the ambulance, clearly as
concerned for her doctor’s well being as for her own, she sent her son into the
garden to pick some beans for him. Now he is changing from doctor to potential
patient he wonders if he might have more sympathy with those who have not
always totally appreciated his medical advice. The following ode which he
remembers from many years ago might, he suggests, be appropriate.
‘My doctor issued his decree
That too much wine is killing me.
And furthermore his ban he hurls,
Against me chasing pretty girls.
What! Must I no longer share
Good wines nor beauties dark and fair?
Doctor – farewell – my sails unfurled,
I’d rather risk the other world!’
Now he has retired Dr Desborough and his wife Elaine will be able to spend more
time enjoying their Ballroom and Latin American dancing. He can also work on
his guitar playing with the beautiful new one the practice gave him to replace
his old vintage version. And as for us patients we will definitely miss him. Dr
Desborough was always a friendly reassuring presence who would immediately put
you at ease with his cheery smile, someone who had time to listen and to deal
with your problems. And his health benefits extended beyond the surgery. His
performances in the brilliant Combroke pantomimes were guaranteed to lift
anyone’s spirits. We wish him and Elaine much happiness with whatever plans they
have for the future.
NLB
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Wellesbourne in Bloom
This month has been very hectic
getting the old spring bedding out and the new summer bedding in. There was a
mass convoy of "Bloomers" to the nursery to pick up all the bedding.
The girls have worked tirelessly to get all the bedding in so that it looks
good on judging day. Now begins the task of getting it watered regularly,
something else the girls do. They deserve a lot of credit for the lovely
displays around the village.
At the end of March an era came to an end: both Sue and Pat at the surgery
retired. They have helped us plant the surgery planter and borders for several
years and watered and tidied during the summer season. We know that the
patients appreciate it and Mr O’Malley’s seasonal hanging baskets he provides
every year. We would like to say a big thank you. We are pleased to say we are
carrying on the surgery planting and the surgery are going to water for us for
which we are very grateful.
We would also like to thank the Parish Council for their continuing support
with our annual grant.
Our Heart of England judging day is on Tuesday 12th July; at 10am the judges
will be mingling and giving speeches around 12 noon after they have had a tour of
the village. The judging is being held in St Peter’s Church with the very kind
permission of the Rev’d Kate Mier and the churchwardens. Please come along, see
our work and that of some of our supporting groups and have some lovely refreshments.
The newly refurbished Precinct Herb Garden is doing well. Several people have
enquired about the species of the trees surrounding the library so we have made
labels for all the trees.
Now that we know our judging
date everything whizzes into action; it's hard work but worth the effort because
of the support we get from everyone.
Heather Sims
When a man from the country returned from a visit to the city, he told his wife,
that he’d gone to the cathedral for evensong and the choir had sung a most beautiful anthem.
“What's an anthem?” asked his missus.
“Well, it's like this”, said her husband thoughtfully. “If I said, ‘We plough the
fields and scatter the good seed on the ground,’ that’s like a hymn isn’t it?”
“But if I said, ‘We plough, we plough the fields, we plough the fields, the fields;
the home field, the ten acre field, Low Meadow, the Glebe field; all the fields, the fields, we plough, we
plough and scatter, we plough and scatter, the seed, the good seed, the good
seed on the ground.’ then that’s like an anthem!”
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