Serious injuries fail to stop 72-year-old’s love for art

A 72-year-old Lynn woman is hosting an art exhibition in Lynn this week despite suffering serious injuries following a fall this year.

Sue O’Brien’s photo art exhibition was originally scheduled to take place in January in Lynn.

However, it had to be postponed after she fell off steps when attempting to put something on top of her wardrobe in November.

As a result, she said she has suffered bleeding of the brain and has had to live with double vision.

Mrs O’Brien was in Addenbrookes for two weeks recovering from the injury.

Not that this is putting her off from staging the photo exhibition, which will be held at the Soul Cafe and Restaurant on Tower Street from Thursday.

“If anything it’s probably going to be better than it would have been in January because I’ve had more time,” she said.

Mrs O’Brien was trained as a graphics designer before teaching in schools including Springwood, the College of West Anglia and Wisbech Grammar School until 2001.

Having been diagnosed with post-polio syndrome in 2004, Mrs O’Brien said she was forced into early retirement.

“Post-polio means my muscles are weak, which makes it hard to do physical things,” she said.

“I can create the photos on the computer which are manipulated digitally by putting scenes together and mixing them up.”

Her work will be on show this month and includes images of Lynn, nature and from her time in Ireland.

Mrs O’Brien said some of the work depicts the political troubles that have occurred within Ireland.

She added: “Photography has become a way of being creative that is new for me.

“I think there are lots of bits of Lynn that make a nice picture, even if you do not know the town.

“It is interesting to see the town in a new form.”