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Fundraising grandad bares 'knobbly knees' for a year | |
(about 5 hours later) | |
A 74-year-old grandfather has spent a year wearing shorts and exposing his "knobbly knees" to raise money for a charity close to his heart. | A 74-year-old grandfather has spent a year wearing shorts and exposing his "knobbly knees" to raise money for a charity close to his heart. |
David Arnold, from Cambridgeshire, lost his niece to ataxia - a degenerative disease of the nervous system. | David Arnold, from Cambridgeshire, lost his niece to ataxia - a degenerative disease of the nervous system. |
No stranger to shorts, last New Year's Eve he pledged to wear them every day of 2019, turning heads at funerals, weddings and choral concerts. | No stranger to shorts, last New Year's Eve he pledged to wear them every day of 2019, turning heads at funerals, weddings and choral concerts. |
He has raised more than £4,500 and finally put his long trousers back on. | He has raised more than £4,500 and finally put his long trousers back on. |
"I did get a lot of funny looks and my legs were pretty cold at times," said Mr Arnold, reflecting on 12 months without any trousers. | "I did get a lot of funny looks and my legs were pretty cold at times," said Mr Arnold, reflecting on 12 months without any trousers. |
"The biggest challenge has been formal occasions, as at my age you go to funerals quite a lot, and I've worn shorts - a friend tailored some trousers into smart shorts for me," Mr Arnold, from Balsham, said. | "The biggest challenge has been formal occasions, as at my age you go to funerals quite a lot, and I've worn shorts - a friend tailored some trousers into smart shorts for me," Mr Arnold, from Balsham, said. |
"Also concerts - I sing in choirs and read at our church so I put formal shorts on then." | "Also concerts - I sing in choirs and read at our church so I put formal shorts on then." |
Asked whether people reacted negatively when he turned up without trousers, he said he usually arrived with fundraising leaflets for the charity Ataxia UK. | Asked whether people reacted negatively when he turned up without trousers, he said he usually arrived with fundraising leaflets for the charity Ataxia UK. |
"Once they know what I'm doing and why they're relaxed about it," he said. | "Once they know what I'm doing and why they're relaxed about it," he said. |
"But my cousin doesn't like my knobbly knees." | "But my cousin doesn't like my knobbly knees." |
His niece Louisa Arnold, who lived in Torquay, contracted Friedreich's ataxia when she was seven and died in October 2018 at the age of 35. | His niece Louisa Arnold, who lived in Torquay, contracted Friedreich's ataxia when she was seven and died in October 2018 at the age of 35. |
"It affects the nervous tissue in the spinal cord resulting in total loss of movement... speech deteriorates over time and it leads to heart disease," Mr Arnold said. | "It affects the nervous tissue in the spinal cord resulting in total loss of movement... speech deteriorates over time and it leads to heart disease," Mr Arnold said. |
He said he had hoped to raise £1,000 but tripled that. | He said he had hoped to raise £1,000 but tripled that. |
He added he thought his niece would have thought he was "a crazy idiot, but oh yes, she would have been smiling - definitely smiling". | He added he thought his niece would have thought he was "a crazy idiot, but oh yes, she would have been smiling - definitely smiling". |