I've been having a good old clear out of clothes, books etc. My husband came across trophies in the wardrobe and asked, "who's Andrea Burgess, Low Hill Ladies Darts Champion 1998, Halton Castle?", amongst other bad taste souvenirs & keepsakes. This resulted in a reverie of my accomplishments on the oche. The only Liverpool Ladies player that had 180 and a nine dart finish! As I remember it, I wanted to have a wee and go to the bar. We uncovered a few of my 'precious things' in the wardrobe (my darts tat), and I held these lurid purple objects to my bosom, along with my darts & sharpener that we also found. "But you can't play darts anymore!", I heard. I couldn't bring myself to put my trophies in the bin, albeit some runner-ups. Am I going soft for wanting to hang onto these things?
What we used to be!: I've been having a good old clear... - NRAS
What we used to be!
Nope Andrea, it's all part of what you are.
It's good to have a clear out though, I have been trying ... trying... and I have bags of stuff, just have to decide whether to send them to charity shop or chuck them out. I think I might label them and get someone else to dispose of them, then they will just be gone. 
But I still have my little Box (well big crate really) with odds and sods which I shall keep. I have one for my mum too. I was so grateful to have it because I have diaries she kept when she was a young girl, little book of poems she wrote when she ws 14 and diaries when she was engaged an getting ready to get married during the War. Things I never knew about her and all written down and it is so lovely to have.
Oh and by the way I was the Malvern Ladies Singles Darts Champion in 1977! Mine was a rose bowl the Cup itself had to go back, but it's got my name on it somewhere! lol....
Julie xx
Oh thats great how lovelly to have memories of Mum to keep like that.
Your mum's things are proper keepsakes x I have assorted tat, you have real memories x. Nevertheless, I WAS a good darts player, and would like to think that Liverpool Ladies would beat Malvern! I don't think arthritic darts would take off. I can't imagine Tony Greene commentating on who's hobbling up to the oche!
You hang on to those trophies... hmmm now about this arthritic darts.... x
wow !!..champion darts players im impressd!!I
I have never actually won much but won.. now dont laugh julie! the junior beef stock judging trophy in young farmers aged about 15.. peaked a bit early Me Thinks. A couple of gen knowledge quizzes and crazy golf only in my later years.
I'd better watch out if I upset you two and you have a sharp pointy object with flight attached on in your hand!!
Nope Andrea you arent soft its lovelly to have some things to keep. I am impressed I havent got a single trophy for anything.
HI Andrea, at the moment memories like that are difficult to deal with as they always remind us of, like you say, "what we used to be" But, hang onto to them as they will not always be memories you find hard to handle, one day you will look at them and smile or laugh at "what you used to be" believe me I know from my own experiences.
Eventually in life we have to deal with those sort of memories but it's usually as we get older, in our case though it's due to the RA and something we have to face much earlier in life than we thought.
You have to think of them as good memories and good times, and tell yourself their will be more but of a different kind, this will help you face a future with RA.
I know your having a rough time at the moment but you will get through it, being positive and strong and will help you cope with the future.
Take care
Mandy xx
Ladies, what do you wear when your knees are bad?
Will my joints ever be normal again?
What are we to do ?
We need your help to identify changes in your rheumatology service
