Kindness of strangers means Hilda, 96, can leave her home at last

THEY STEP IN AND FIT HANDRAIL AFTER HEARING OF WIDOW'S PLIGHT

- By GEORGE PALMER-SOADY

AFTER six months of phoning up almost everyone she could think of for help, Hilda Pannell is finally one step closer to getting a handrail fitted by her bungalow.

It's something which, three months ago, seemed almost impossible as the 96-year-old widow had to fight just to get somebody to listen to her or even acknowledge her request for help.

Formerly a dinner lady and later a carer for her parents, Mrs Pannell has lived in the bungalow off Porchester Road, near Mapperley, since 1993, and couldn’t envisage herself living anywhere else.

But having fallen over twice on the hilly path that connects her house to the road - hitting her head one of those times -

Mrs Pannell has become "terrified" to leave her home without support and wants an existing handrail extended to the corner of the main road.