A daring eighty-one year old lady took to the skies on a brave wing-walk at the weekend.
Valerie Bell, of St Anne’s Court, Stifford Clays, who has two children and four grandchildren, said she “wasn’t nervous.”
Mrs Bell took on the wing-walk at Damyns Hall Aerodrome in Upminster on Sunday morning, after being strapped to a chair and harness on top of a small bi-plane.
The plucky pensioner, who was raised in Grays, and lived for a few years in Devon before moving back to Thurrock, said she had wanted to do it ever since she was a child.
Describing the flight, she said: “I wasn’t apprehensive before doing it, I was just so excited.
“Ever since I can remember I wanted to do a wing-walk. I’m 81 but I thought now the time is right.
“I absolutely loved it. It was the best day ever.”
“The hardest part was getting on it. I thought they’d have a step ladder but it was just a foot stool and you had to haul yourself up over the wings.
“But when I was up there, you could see all over London and all around it. It was a wonderful experience that I’ll never forget."
The retiree was raised in Grays and worked at Basildon Hospital as a physiotherapy assistant, before moving to Devon and back to Thurrock six months ago.
The wing-walk raised around £600 for local charity Thurrock Forget-Me-Nots who support people with memory issues to socialise.
Mrs Bell said she chose an Alzheimers’ charity to fundraise for as she lost her husband John Bell, who worked as a Shell mechanical engineer for many years in Thurrock, to the disease in 2012.
She said: “I lost my husband four years ago to Alzheimers, so that’s why I chose the Forget Me Nots.
“My grandson, Nick Butterfield, is a British Airways flight captain, so it probably runs in the family!
"As for me, I’m in good health generally. I want to do it again next spring!"
Proud son Richard Bell, 53, of Chilham Close, Pitsea, said he was “incredibly proud” of his “amazing” mum.
Mr Bell said: “I was shocked that mum wanted to do it. A few years ago she went up in a microlight.
“Six months ago she was like a frail old lady after a nasty bout of tuberculosis.
“But now she doesn’t need her stick, she’s thinking about getting a car. She’s got a new lease of life since she moved back to Essex.
“We are very proud of her. It’s amazing – she’s always been up for anything! Now we are worried what the next thing is!”
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