A battle of the blind

Press, 28 July 1976, Page 15

A battle of the blind

By

R. T. BRITTENDEN

There couid hardly have been a better reminder of the merits of the Braille Week fund-raising campaign than the documentary screened by TXT on Monday night. This was “Just The Taking Part." the tale of three young men from Essex training for and competing in the winter Olympics for the disabled, held earlier this year in Sweden. Two of them had been blind from birth; the third had lost his sight in an accident when he was 11. The documentary showed them training and being trained at Aidershot, and skiing in Sweden. But it was really the story of their courageous adjustment of their lives to make light of their affliction. It was a moving and uplifting story, skilfully put together, and without any attempt to overcharge with emotion. It did not need that. Pathos was there, inevitably, as these extremely cheerful and determined young men, with their ski guides, took their knocks and

falls, and got up again to continue. “Just The Taking Part’’ offered a sharp contrast to the two Olympic Games programmes which had preceded it — and to all the wrangling and bitterness international sport is bringing with it these days. Even after more than a week, however, the brilliance of the festival at Montreal seems undiminished. There has been some splendid photography but it reached new heights on Monday night, specially with the crosscountry section of the equestrian event, and the finals of the women's diving, with the delightful slow-motion re-plays. There was the added satisfaction of seeing the Russian, David Rigert, win a gold medal in weightlifting. His was not the only face familiar to Christchurch people who has been seen in the last few days. But he has one of the most striking personalities of all the competitors — and on this occasion

showed his distinctive sense of humour, a rare attribute in this very serious business. Television had verylittle else to offer save perhaps for the second part of the second storyin the “Lord Peter Wimsey" series. It is hard to know how the television public is reacting to this period piece: what now seem absurdities of dress, reedy jazz music and the Charleston may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But lan Carmichael carries off the silly ass side of Wimsey admirably, and both the film adaptations have presented interesting, well-constructed stories of detection. They are much more acceptable, in their detail, mounting and leisurely pace, than the half-hour crime shows in which the Americans used to specialise. Television One had one other pleasant contribution to make: its goodnight signing-off segment. With the frost forming outside, those scenes of summer seem especially cheerful.