Norman Mair's dementia journey charted in new book written by wife Lewine

Norman Mair, a former Scottish rugby international and an award-winning sports journalist in his time with The Scotsman, is the subject of a new book written by his wife, Lewine.

Norman Mair represented Scotland in both rugby and cricket before becoming an award-winning journalist with The Scotsman

‘Tapping Feet: A Double-take on Care Homes and Dementia’ is a work of fiction, which, according to Lewine, one of the world’s leading golf writers, is “based loosely” on the period her husband was suffering from dementia.

The characters are all based on real people in real care homes but with their names changed to protect their anonymity without losing a proper feel for Mair’s dementia journey.

“I have loved the challenge of writing more of a novel,” said Lewine, a Senior European correspondent for Global Golf Post and the current President of the Association of Golf Writers.

Lewine Mair, Norman's wife, is the author of 'Tapping Feet: A Double-take on Care Homes and Dementia'.

“I kept a diary while Norman was in the care home because I found it vaguely therapeutic during what was a tough time for the family.

“My hope is that many of those who have friends or family members affected by Alzheimer’s or dementia, or both, will draw comfort from reading of the condition’s brighter moments as well as its sadder side.”

Lewine has included a series of tales from the home where Mair spent his last few years and, in one of them, she relays how she came up with the name for the book when the residents started to tap their feet as she reeled off tunes from the musicals on the home’s grand piano.

“Apart from enjoying a good Christmas musical such as the Wizard of Oz with the children and myself,” she writes, “Norman had never shown any interest in music, any more than he had ever learned to dance.

Tapping Feet: A Double-take on Care Homes and Dementia' is available on Amazon.

“Indeed, when it came to my piano-playing, he was wont to shut the door just firmly enough to make plain that the noise might interfere with whatever sport it was that he was watching on television in another room.

“Yet when, shortly after the piano arrived at Farrow Hall (her made up name for the care home) arrived, and residents and staff alike told him how much they like the musical sessions, he changed his tune.

“On an afternoon when he had been delivering a series of nasty barbs, each of which had the saving grace of being as smartly delivered as you would expect from someone with his talents, he suddenly came up with a gentle query. He wanted to know how long I had been playing the piano.

“Since I was a child,” I said. “Why do you ask?” “Because I like it,” he replied. “Is there anything you like in particular?” “I like it all.”

Mair made four appearances for Scotland on the rugby pitch while he also represented his country at cricket. But, in another tale, this one about his final few days of his life in 2014, Lewine writes: “Maybe, just maybe, his last dreams were devoted to what he had so profoundly announced to some of his rugby friends a few weeks earlier: the news that he had just been chosen to play football for Celtic.”

Given the widely-publicised connection between rugby and dementia, Lewine is donating a third of all profits to Head for Change, a recently-formed charitable foundation, pioneering positive change for brain health in sport and supporting ex-players who are affected by neurodegenerative disease as a result of their professional sporting career in football or rugby.

Judith Gates, Chair and Co-founder of Head for Change said: “We are delighted that Lewine has chosen to partner with us on ‘Tapping Feet’ and we are grateful that she has selected Head for Change as her chosen charity because of our commitment to positive brain health.

“There is some real momentum in the media on this important subject of dementia in contact sports. Hopefully, as well as being informative, this book will provide a little comfort and light to those making the difficult decision to move their loved ones into care.”

‘Tapping Feet: A Double-take on Care Homes and Dementia’ is available on Amazon.