Personalities within the Association

We have interviewed a few of the 'personalities' within ALS, asking each of them the same questions, some lighthearted and others more serious. We will put up these interviews from time to time and hope you enjoy getting to know a few more people 'behind the scenes' at the Association of Lipspeakers.

Another of our personalities is ALS patron, Lady Marre CBE. Mary Marre has a wide ranging experience of the voluntary sector at both national and local levels. She was not only Chair of the 1992 Commission of Enquiry into Human Aids to Communication (now known as Language Service Professionals (LSPs)) but also sat on the Prince of Wales' Advisory Group on Disability and was Vice Chair of the City Parochial Foundation. ALS Chairwomen also know her as an incomparable adviser and guide as well as an advocate for deaf awareness and champion of all human aids to communication.

Q. What time do you usually wake in the morning?

Mary: About 7am - but am slow to get out of bed.

Q. Pick five words that best describe you.

Mary: Inquisitive. Interested in people and ideas. Plump. Active (for my age). Friendly.

Q. If you could have a one-to-one with anyone (living or dead) who would you choose?

Mary: Jane Austen.

Q. Who, or what, has changed your life for you?

Mary: Joining the ATS in September 1942.

Q. Now that you are retired what activities do you find most enjoyable?

Mary: Talking with my friends and family. Walking on Hampstead Heath or along the coast in Fife near my Scottish flat. Driving my car.

Q. What are the most frustrating aspects of communication for you?

Mary: Not yet having bought a computer and being on the internet.

Q. What would be your Desert Island Discs luxury?

Mary: A wind-up radio!

Q. What would you most like to see ALS achieve?

Mary: Getting more 'hard of hearing' people (like myself) to be able to use the services of a lipspeaker (and lipread) and getting extra resources to train and deploy lipspeakers.

Mary, thank you so much! We'll miss you at our Conferene and AGM this year, but look forward to seeing you when you come back south in the Autumn.

Mary Marre was interviewed by Lynne Dubin, July 2001.