General Chat

She was due to take him back to the Isle of Man when he had a nasty stumble.

"I heard a bang. I went upstairs. He was disorientated and said: 'I don't know what's wrong with me. I can't stand up. I'm dizzy'."

Kim got an appointment with the doctor, who told her her Norman needed professional care. '

"That was the turning point," she says.

At first, they looked at Brinsworth House, a home for retired actors and entertainers in Twickenham, Middlesex. Wisdom went there for three visits. On the third occasion, Jackie got a call.

"They said: 'Please can you come and pick your father up? He is too much for us. We don't have the staff.'

"Apparently he stood in front of the matron and said: 'I want to go for a drive and I want to go now.'

"It took me two hours to get there because of an accident on the M25, and they were on the phone twice saying: 'Where are you?'

"That's when they said: 'We are not able to accept your father'."

The Isle of Man is not Nick or Jackie's ideal location for a home for their father. But it's the place he loved - he has stated in his will that he wants to be buried there.

So it was there that they looked next. Abbotswood nursing home "ticked every box and more".

From here, their father can be driven - by any of "the wonderful staff", or friends, or Mo, his former cleaner - down to a themed bar in Douglas called Sir Norman's, where his films are shown on a loop, or out of the door into the countryside he loves.

"If he was at Brinsworth," Jackie says, "you'd be driving him out into a traffic jam in Twickenham High Street."

"It serves the food he likes," Kim adds. "Fish and chips and steak and kidney pies."

"And he has an audience," says Nick.

"He sings to them. They play bingo and if he doesn't get any number he blows raspberries.

"He makes them all laugh and he gets what he loves - the adoration and the applause."

Since filming of the documentary stopped last year, Norman's health has declined steeply. He won't be watching the programme.

"He wouldn't understand," Jackie says. "It would distress him."

"He's still the showman - that's instinctive in him," Kim adds.

"But he has lost awareness of who he actually is.

"The other day, when we took him to Sir Norman's, he didn't even realise it was him on the film."

Nick and Jackie both look away when Kim says this. Jackie's eyes fill with tears.

The last time Nick visited, his father didn't recognise him.

"I said: 'I'm your son.' He has to say: 'I knew that. I was only joking.'

"But he wasn't."

That is the latest newspaper report but there are comments added on line, one saying Norman invested lots of money so there should be enough to pay for round the clock care and nursing or whatever is needed to let him stay at home and have the family visit.
I do feel for the family, but it is sad if some suggestions that they are stopping him see people are true, however there may be other reasons. It can be confusing for Alzheimer sufferers to see too many different people.
I am sad that Norman has ended up so poorly - yet again Alzheimer's has taken away someone's dignity and quality of life, it is no respecter of persons or wealth. One can only hope he is comfortable and relatively happy.
It would be sad if the end of his lifetime was as sad as its beginnings.
Lizx

Thanks for that PP
your a star
Rosex

Thanks for the updates on Norman.

Rose - thanks for the pm and the url - I havent had chance to read it yet, but will later on today.

Jan

Thought it was easier for folk to read the whole story that had been printed, just sad that such a great entertainer is ending his days like this. Hope he still gets the recognition he deserves from others, altho not sure I would want to be in the home if he sings all the time lol
Bless him,

Lizx PD Rose, PD!!

thanks liz i loved reading that,it was smashing.where can i find out about his early life???xx

My Dad used to fall about laughing whenever Norman wisdom was on TV or at his films. I admire him for his long life in show business and for the pleasure he brought to others but I have to admit his humour was not mine. I still find it sad that he has ended up suffering with dementia.

ann
glos

He's lovely. it was quite sad to see him so frail, but I guess it comes to us all, rich or poor, famous or ordinary. He still makes me laugh-his family seem nice as well
Carol

Thanks for this Liz I meant to watch but got caught up in other things and missed it.

There had been quite a debate about the programme on the Alz forum. Really interesting as they are all facing similar problems and the thing that comes through time and again is

"if you have seen one person with Alzheimer's you have seen one person with Alzheimer's" every case is so different depending on which of the many causes the sufferer has and some like my husband when we just don't know.

Some families do all they can others drift off like shadows in the night. The strain on carers is tremendous. Decision making is very very difficult and hard choices have to be made.

It is not easy living with it 24 hours a day and I just thank my lucky stars that Vic still has some quality of life.

Linda x

Anyone watching Richard & Judy? There will be something on there about Norman Wisdom in a few minutes.

nudge

I remember when I was about 10 years old I saw him window shopping in our town, and I can still remember how rude he was to me when I shyly asked for his autograph. Never liked him since!!

Anne

Just in case anyone missed the programme last nights its being repeated on
BBC 1 Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008 2:10am to 2:50am

Thanks for that Penny x

I wish I had seen it, Norman is simply brill, a really lovely gent. Just looking at him made me laugh.

Caz xxx

Thanks Penny, just seen your post lol!!


Caz xxx

Just need to set your recorder now Caz - I'm sure you won't be up that late :-)

Oh I will watch that as the freeview somehow got switched off, luckily I checked or would not have had any recorded but missed the first ten minutes. I saw his son and dil on Richard and Judy and they said he is doing ok at the home on the I. of Man.
I don't know where to find anything about his childhood - anyone else know?

Lizx

Liz

His autobiography is on Amazon & Play - -probably some info in there.

Thanks Penny, will have a look .