STILL Game star and Royal Navy veteran James Martin has shared his own experiences of living with age-related sight loss in a bid to raise awareness of the support available to veterans with sight loss in Scotland.

The actor, a Musselburgh resident for 34 years, played fan favourite Eric in the much-loved sitcom Still Game and turns 90 in March.

He was diagnosed with age-related macular degeneration – an eye disease which affects central vision and for which there is currently no cure – over a decade ago.

With his deteriorating sight making it difficult for him to recognise faces and read, James got in touch with Sight Scotland Veterans in 2019 after learning of the charity at a veterans event.

James, a staunch supporter of the Hollies Day Centre in Musselburgh, proudly served in the Royal Navy prior to embarking on his 40-year acting career, having joined up in 1949 aged 17 and serving seven years, then five years with the reserves.

With his sight loss and service background making him eligible for Sight Scotland Veterans’ support, the charity has provided James with specialist equipment and expert advice which has helped him “regain his independence”.

He describes Sight Scotland Veterans’ offering as “incredible” as the charity strives to reach out to even more veterans with sight loss in Scotland, with its first ever TV advert campaign live this month.

James, who was born in Glasgow, first came to East Lothian to work at Greywalls Hotel, Gullane, which was advertising for a head porter in 1974.

It was there he met his wife Christine, who was assistant manager.

The couple moved to Port Seton, where for eight years they ran a general store called the Anchorage, located halfway between Port Seton and Seton Sands Holiday Park on the shore side where three houses now stand. It was a typical holiday shop selling basic food items, sweets, toys and providing hot rolls/sandwiches, as well as having a liquor licence. The couple then moved to Musselburgh.

East Lothian Courier: James Martin as Eric (second left) with fellow Still Game cast members. Image: BBC Scotland

James Martin as Eric (second left) with fellow Still Game cast members. Image: BBC Scotland

James said: “I had never heard of macular degeneration when I was diagnosed and had thought there’d be something to cure it, but soon found out that there isn’t currently.

“My sight loss was very gradual, but I started to realise my central vision wasn’t as good as it should be and I couldn’t recognise faces – I now have to go by recognising voices.

“It was a funny thing. I can see all around me but when I try to pinpoint things in the middle of my vision it’s blurred.

“It’s mainly impacted my reading – I used to be a prolific reader but now due to my sight loss I find it a chore. I think recently it’s slowly got a little bit worse. I hope it’s reached its peak.

“I’d had no other support for my sight loss at all prior to joining Sight Scotland Veterans. The charity has been wonderful. The things I’ve been provided with to aid me are incredible. They’ve sourced me a talking watch and specialist lighting for reading. It just gives you your independence back. I love my cups of coffee and one of my favourite things is a gadget that vibrates to let me know when the water has reached the top of the mug.”

Sight Scotland Veterans also sourced a Synapptic tablet for James, which features software designed for people with sight loss. Before the pandemic set in, he attended one of the charity’s activity hubs for veterans with sight loss for some digital training.

As president of the Royal Naval Association in Edinburgh, James is calling on fellow veterans with sight loss in Scotland to reach out for support to adapt to life with sight loss, with Sight Scotland Veterans still welcoming enquiries from veterans to access its support in lockdown.

For more information, call 0800 035 6409, email hello@sightscotlandveterans.org.uk or visit sightscotlandveterans.org.uk