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Subscribe to RSSLONDON -- A blind British writer failed to notice her pen had run out of ink while writing 26 pages of a book, but her lost words were recovered by police forensic staff.
Trish Vickers, who took up writing after losing her sight, uses pen and paper and is helped by a volunteer who comes by to type up her manuscripts.
Her son, Simon, also reads her work back to her during his regular visits to her home in Dorset, England.
It was during one of his visits that he discovered she had written 26 pages, but there was nothing on the paper, according to the Bridport and Lyme Regis News which first reported the story.
“We battled with various ideas until we thought of the police. We rang them and asked to speak to their fingerprint section. They said if there was anything they could do they would be happy to help. I was gobsmacked and so happy," Vickers, 59, told reporter Rene Gerryts.
Her son drove her to the county police headquarters, whose officers worked in their spare time to recreate the missing words from her manuscript.
“I think they used a combination of various lights at different angles to see if they could get the impression made by my pen. I am so happy, pleased and grateful. It was really nice of them and I want to thank them for helping me out," Vickers said.
Dorset Police were unavailable for comment.
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Just goes to show even cops have a heart when it comes to helping a disabled person
John Milton was a blind English author. I wonder if this gal Vickers is also penning an epic poem...
Do the cops get their names on the cover as ghost writers?
I believe that the police have a heart when it comes to helping generally. I suspect a strong desire to help is what leads many/most to police work in the first place, and one unfortunate result of their dealing with the dregs of society all day every day makes it difficult to express that desire.
Kudos to the media for presenting this story and a chance to see the police in a positive light, and, of course, top marks to the police involved!
These are British cops, not American. No surprise.
Why can't these types of people apply for immigration status here in the US? I forgot, they're British, they still have morals and treat people with respect and dignity.
How sweet of the coppers! I love the feeling of being gobsmacked, too!
The media could run stories like this all day, every day, if the wanted to, instead of all the misery, murder and mayhem, and I personally beilive the world would be a better place for it. Instead, I'm happy to take what few nuggets manage to slip through the cracks and spread them around.
Kudos to these police, who clearly demonstrate that they remember the "Serve" part of the motto "Protect and Serve". Email the chief. Encourage them.
We could *ALL* use a dose of this regularly.
AWW how very sweet of them! We need more stories like this!!
Gobsmacked???????????
To be Godsmacked means in a nutshell that something good or pleasant happened to you.
No it doesn't and it's Gobsmacked, not Godsmacked. It means to be totally taken by surprise by something unexpected - it could be good or bad. The word 'gob' in Britain is slang for mouth and so this saying represents the feeling of having been smacked in the mouth i.e. startled,surprised.
You could have been kinder, "Kevin, London", and thanks for the clarification. It IS a delightful feeling!
Snookums48, Kevin wasn't rude or mean. He explained what the word means. If you read a tone and took it as mean that is your fault.
I'm just sick of people thinking that a blunt, pithy, or even clear sentence or paragraph as mean.
wow, a win-win for everyone. the author gets her manuscript back and the police get to practice... great story, keep them coming, please...
And all you thought the police did was catch bad guys and eat donuts. Good on these guys. Did it on their own time. What no pay? What no commendations? Come on you scrooge politicians. Give these guys some recognition. Well at least my hats off to you.
This is the type of story that makes the news worthy of reading or hearing about. If all of society would act like this we could have a much happier world.
Wasn't using a dependable old BIC I'd guess. Might need to switch to a manual typewriter. How expensive would a braille computer be? Or, better still, a tape recorder! But then, would she know when the tape ran out or the batteries ran low? Great story.... happy ending........TEA!
When Milton was blind, the poet Andrew Marvell served as his secretary and transcribed Paradise Lost. When Joyce was going blind, Beckett did the same for him with Finnegans Wake. Blindness and writing has created some very interesting arrangements. I love this story.
At least the British police have half of "protect and server" right. Hope it sells what ever it is she is writing
Obviously this calls for a $1 million grant to develop a $10,000 dollar government provided pen/camera/computer system that will let a blind person know when their pen runs out of ink.
Good golly, you're a wet blanket. If there was any way to properly convey a disapproving, nonverbal poo-pooing sound over the internet, I'd type it. I don't know about the economy, but you've certainly killed the mood.
Saddened, might I respectfully offer you a phrase that has served mankind well since at least WW2; I believe it apropos of economykiller's rhetoric...
"Illegitimi non carborundum"
All the best.
This is a heartwarming story. I know many American policemen, sheriff's deputies and state law enforcement agents who willingly give of their time to help others. I hope this lady sells a LOT of books and dedicates her face page to the policemen who helped.
Just when you think the whole world is going to hell in a handbasket, a nice, uplifting story such as this comes along!
Economykiller, your comments offer a sad commentary to your personality. This sort of cynicism is just not needed. There is nothing in the story that warrants such garbage. The CSI's helped the woman 'off the clock' or in spare time. Not to mention that is was a great training exercise, not to mention a very humanitarian thing to do. So suck it up Bubba, and try and see some good in this world.
I'm wondering if I'm the only one who thinks rubbing the end of a pencil or a crayon over the papers would have been cheaper, like you do when the top page of a notepad is missing but you need to know what was written on it? I've had to do that a few times in my life to get info I had lost.
That only works if she is heavy (or moderately) handed like we are. I could probably go down several sheets and still be able to figure out what I wrote. :)
if blind people can not only learn, but master the art of piano, i would think a blind person could also learn to type better than a seeing person, anyways you dont look at the keys anyways, maybe she should just type it herself. Im talking about on a computer or the next dtory would be that she ran out of typewriter tape.
Print that section of the book in a hollow font, reading between the lines is one thing, but the empty letters is something new.
I can see with my eyes, but I assure you my hands and fingers are very, very, blind and unable to learn at all.