I decided to do something about my hearing around three years ago. I had begun to find it difficult to listen to conversation in crowded places and in business meetings.

On a one to one or on the phone I was fine, but as soon as I was in a crowd, say at a meeting or in the bar after the rugby, I could only pick out every other word. I began cupping my ears with my hands to help me hear better and, in business, I was starting to worry that I was mishearing or misinterpreting what was being said to me.

I was fitted with hearing aids and the results were immediate. When I was fitted for my first hearing aid, the audiologist asked me if I wanted to wear the new aid there and then. I agreed that I would and drove home. When I got out of the car I became aware of a strange noise, and it took me a while to work out that it was the wind rustling in the trees – I had just never heard it before.

I can now hear almost everything that is being said to me in a crowd, which is a great advantage. I know that there are plenty of people out there who should get their hearing checked – ex-service personnel like me, and farmers, who often lose their hearing as a result of the loud noises on their farms. My advice would be, do something about it sooner rather than later.

Mr Tracy Turner