A Cheshire author who has Parkinson’s disease has launched a new book in Nantwich based on her outdoor adventures and coping with the condition.
Lesley Howard, 64, unveiled her new book “Whispers In The Wind” at the Nantwich Bookshop.
It is based on a journal she kept during the year following her diagnosis, and tells how being out in the Cheshire countryside helped her cope with the devastating news.
After being diagnosed in 2017, Lesley, originally from Chester, decided to change her life and started more outdoor exercise to deal with the disease in a natural way.
She says a fascinating world opened up, full of new experiences and wonderful discoveries, and she says she soon felt healthier and more alive.
Writing the book of her new adventures also helped process her emotions and negative thoughts and reduced stress.
Many of the places featured in the book are in South Cheshire, with Bunbury a place Lesley calls “a sanctuary from city-life”.
She is accompanied on many of her outdoor adventures by husband Paul, 65, a keen photographer.
Lesley said: “Just being in the countryside helped (and still does) to stimulate both the mind and body.
“Without nature and all the micro-worlds within, I would never have coped during those early years after diagnosis.
“There are times when getting so engrossed in a subject that I will be totally oblivious to anything or anybody else.”
Lesley doesn’t see this as a disadvantage as it helps with her concentration.
She added: “Paul often says that talking to me at times is like throwing ping-pong balls at a hedgehog!
“There is nothing that soothes a troubled mind more than being in a quiet woodland. To breathe in its beneficial qualities is the best medicine ever.
“I have learned so much about the Cheshire countryside, from a long-forgotten bath house used in the 1800s for its curative properties, to the antics of two goldfinches.
“One of my treasured experiences was photographing a brown-hawker dragonfly, who landed while I was taking a shot of a different species.”
Before her diagnosis, Lesley worked as a photographer, makeup-artist, jewellery designer and holistic therapist.
She is the author of “Dark Cheshire (myths and legends)” and has had work appearing in various publications, including Evergreen magazine.
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