Ian is as good as his word after pledge to late mum
A devoted son is honouring one of his late mum’s last wishes by keeping their village clean and tidy.
Ian Wimsett can be seen most days in Linton in his hi-vis jacket, picking up litter, cutting back foliage and washing road signs.
The 54-year-old, who has health problems, said his actions would please mum June, who died on Good Friday this year, aged 79, and also benefit his neighbours and improve his fitness.
Mr Wimsett, of Cornwallis Avenue, who often takes Jack Russell chihuahua cross Milo on his cleaning missions, said: “Mum looked after me for a long time until she became bedbound.
“One day she had to go to hospital and they sent transport to take her there. As we went up Linton Hill the trees were all overgrown and you couldn’t see the bus stops.
“We’ve got older citizens and children who use the bus and you couldn’t see them. Mum said ‘Why don’t you get out there and cut some of that back?’
“That’s what I did and it just went from there.”
Mr Wimsett, who uses dad Malcolm’s wheelbarrow and lawnmower, suffers with hemiplegic migraines, which cause strokelike symptoms and temporary weakness down one side of his body.
He was forced to give up careers as a plumber and landscape gardener due to the painful and debilitating condition and can’t go out cleaning if he has a bad migraine.
He has crutches, although tries not to use them.
He covers an area of about four square miles each month including Vanity Lane, Redwall Lane and Loddington Lane, and he cut grass next to allotments in Wheeler’s Lane, which was taller than him and was forcing people to walk in the road.
The former Cornwallis pupil continued: “I do it off my own back, I don’t want anything for it. It makes me feel valued and I get to meet people. The doctor said I should walk about a mile a day so doing this keeps me fit.”