A LUDGERSHALL man who left school not being able to read is now a keen reader thanks to support from his wife and Salisbury-based service Read Easy.

81-year-old Anthony overcame being ignored at school, caring for his wife, Doreen, hard work on his allotment and slight dyslexia to complete all five manuals of the reading course.

He was presented with a certificate and a book token after completing the course during a special celebration at Ludgershall Council offices, which was attended by the mayor, Owen White

Anthony married Doreen when he was 51 and for a long time she did not know that he could not read. It was only about 10 years ago that she realised.

He said that he does not know how Doreen found out.

“I never told her that I couldn’t read because I was ashamed of it,” he said.

READ MORE: Anita releases book on her life – despite only learning to read a year ago

READ MORE: 24 affordable homes to be built in Salisbury and Ludgershall

Doreen said it was about 10 years ago that she first became aware that Anthony had difficulty reading, and recalls when she realised.

She said: “I think we were doing something and, I thought, hang on can you read? It just suddenly twigged.”

She started teaching him before Read Easy. “We got going and then the allotment season came in, and that was it. But I did get him doing little bits.”

Anthony felt let down at his school in Essex and wished that more effort had been put into helping him to read, rather than sending him off to help the caretaker.

“They never used to worry about me in the classroom,” he said.

“I left school at 15 on a Friday and I started work on the Monday on a farm.”

He then moved into horticulture as a foreman on a fruit farm, followed by a short stint in a factory.

Later he became a self-employed painter and decorator, which he had to stop when he broke his back in 1999.

When told about Read Easy, he decided that this was the time to learn.

After initial discussions and a meeting with Rosie, his reading coach, and a Read Easy coordinator, Anthony embarked on his journey into the unknown, with some trepidation, in January 2024.

To begin with, his sessions were held in the council offices but then went online when Rosie moved away.

Now he feels a great sense of achievement and is very grateful for Rosie’s ‘great tutoring, encouragement, friendship and support’.

He added: “You are never too old to learn.”

Rosie said: “Anthony is an inspiration as he has approached all reading sessions with cheerful determination. He has a wicked sense of humour and it has been a privilege to have been part of his reading journey – I am going to miss our sessions.”

When he is not working on his allotment, Anthony is enjoying his reading, including The Railway Children and a book about Anne Frank.

Read Easy offers free one-to-one reading coaching in spaces that are public but with some privacy.

Anyone who knows of someone who cannot read or would like to volunteer for Read Easy, which is currently looking for more coaches, is asked to email sewrecruiter@readeasy.org.uk or call 07942 382318.