Pensioner Wallace thanks people who came to his aid

Wallace (89) has been attending Thorpe Hesley Primary School twice-a-week after losing his wife.

The grandfather-of-six is a volunteer reader and enjoys two-hour sessions listening to youngsters reading.

But after leaving the Upper Wortley Road school earlier this month, he fell and broke his rib.

Wallace, who walks with a stick, said: “When I was coming back home, I stumbled on a footpath just near the Texaco garage. 

“Two young chaps came to help me - I think I must have been unconscious for a bit. They rang the paramedics and I was taken to Rotherham Hospital for a scan and chest X-ray.

“I had cuts and bruises all over. The pain I had in my chest was just excruciating. The scans showed I had a cracked rib.

“I want to thank the two young chaps, who were roughly in their 40s, who helped me and all the medical staff at Rotherham Hospital - they were first class.”

Widower Wallace is now back in the classroom and enjoying the reading sessions again.

“I enjoy listening to the children reading - it’s surprising how good they are,” he said.

Former financial director Wallace helps pupils with their pronunciation and confidence with speaking out loud.

Headteacher Trudi Toms said a charity for the elderly had recommended Wallace joined the school after his wife died as part of an initiative to combat loneliness.

Trudi said Wallace was the school’s oldest volunteer, adding: “It’s lovely for him and nice for the children to interact with someone who has completely different experiences.

“The children love it and are always fighting to go out and talk to him, along with the staff! 

“He’s a very cute guy - a proper old-fashioned cap-and-cane kind of man.

“The kids love reading with him - for some they don’t encounter people of that kind of era. He’s amazing.

“When we do history topics, he will be a great resource for us too.”

Trudi added: “We’re a community-based school and are keen to do things with the community.

“A grandmother used to come in and teach knitting, but her children left school and it dropped off. 

“We always welcome people with these kind of skills that people don’t have anymore. 

“It makes the children feel really special when people come in to visit.”

Volunteers are Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checked and anyone interested in sharing their skills and knowledge with pupils should contact the school, added Trudi.