Croydon Vision, is one of the organisations we support as part of our bid to Open London Up. We recently spoke to one of their members, Christopher Beanland, who joined Croydon Vision in April this year. Since joining he’s already embraced excursions, the delights of Isha’s cooking (she’s the very popular chef at Croydon Vision, who prepares fresh meals for members to share and enjoy together) and using the IT Tech Hub they offer to harness his passions for physics and photography…
Tell us a bit about yourself…
I’m 74 years old, but as a boy, I worked as a photographer in the Royal Navy. As well as reconnaissance photography, I’d capture events and things, anything that put the Royal Navy in a good light! Then in 1974 I went through a windscreen and lost the vision in my right eye. After that, I left the Navy and worked as a professional card player, as a bridge host. The sight in my left eye isn’t good but it changes from day to day, almost in line with my moods, and I now have cataracts in that eye too.
How did you find out about Croydon Vision?
The Wellbeing Centre in Croydon told me about Croydon Vision and as a result I now attend and help out at both. I’m at Croydon Vision at least three times a week. The staff are good; every problem I have Sarah solves, or Daniel solves. They’re a marvel. I love the hall, and the excursion to Kew was good too. I find the noise quite overwhelming sometimes because I’m not used to it, but the atmosphere is a happy one; people enjoying each other’s company. And through visiting Croydon Vision I’m tapping into my passions for physics and photography…
In what way?
Daniel, the Accessibility IT Trainer is helping me to set up a blog to document my love of physics and display my photographs. Maybe I’ll run photography workshops too. My secret is, I only photograph that which is beautiful. Or if it’s not beautiful, I find an aspect that is beautiful. I love to capture sunsets, steam trains, wildlife and flowers and I’ve taken the best picture of a daisy you’ve ever seen. How? Simple. I took its portrait.
Would you recommend Croydon Vision to others? If so, how would you describe it?
Oh yes, absolutely. It’s just a very helpful place to be and an asset to people with sight loss.
