Monday, December 15th

Robert is making regular visits to the yard and seeing the horses. It is hoped that he will be able to stay over night at Christmas and the Career's are currently in training!! His new Permobile wheelchair will be delivered in January and finding a suitable vehicle for travelling is still ongoing.

Wednesday 15th October

Thank you very much to everyone who came to the Robert Alner Fund Ball on Saturday and to everyone who donated prizes or sponsored the evening. It was a great party and together we raised £200,000. The evening was videoed for Robert and he is looking forward to seeing all the footage of everyone having a great night! Thank you for all your support.

Tuesday 30th September

Robert has been having a few problems with his blood pressure rising and falling since the Open day, but he seems to be back on track now and more settled.

Monday 15th September

Robert had a brilliant welcome back to Locketts yesterday and would like to thank every body for attending the 'Open day' and for all the support he was shown. The day was a great success and the sun shone which was an added bonus!!

31st August 2008

We have now got a website up and running. Please go to www.robertalnerracing.com. Feedback welcome!

27th August 2008

Robert is coming back to Salisbury Odstock Hospital today. He will return to London to have an operation in the near future, when all the required surgeons can be present.

Friday 22nd August

Robert has undergone many tests at the National hospital in London and he may have an operation next week, after the Consultants have conferred.

20th August 2008

Yesterday, Robert made the journey to London's National Hospital, where he is being assessed.

August 11th '08

Robert is currently still making steady progress, with a new tracheotomy and temporary voice box. He is still trying out various wheel chairs to suit, now looking into a car purchase, tests drives currently undergoing. Robert's aim is to attend the Open Day on Sunday 14th September '08, which is to be held at the yard.

FRIDAY 4TH JULY

Tickets for the Robert Alner Fund Ball at Wincanton on October 11th are selling fast and we have some great auction and raffle prizes - including a Stallion nomination from Coolmore! Thank you to everyone who has donated auction prizes and bought tickets so far. If you haven't bought your ticket yet and would like to attend please contact Rebecca Morgan at Cheltenham Racecourse ( email rebecca.morgan@jockeyclubracecourse.com ) before the tickets sell out!

Robert continues to progress, he has been for a test drive trip around the carpark in a wheelchair, in full control of it !!

23rd June 2008

Robert's progress continues, he has been fitted with a smaller ventilator tube and has also had a test drive in the new chair! He is now able to be sat in the chair for at least 7 hrs . The nurses are trying to encorouage him to do Physio instead of watching the sport on TV in the afternoon's! ( possibly going to have to change the timetable on that one ) Was thrilled to hear that his daughter Louise and Rob Walford had announced their engagement.

Wednesday 28th May

Robert is now off of the ventilator 50% of the time and enjoys watching the afternoon racing from his wheelchair, thanks to all who visit him, he is up to date with all the news and gossip!!

Thursday 15th May

Robert is delighted with the news that he is now a Grandad. A Granddaughter, Isabel Mary safely arrived in America a week ago.
Robert as many of you know has hosted bi-annually an Open Day here at Locketts Farm for his chosen charities, this will go ahead as usual this year and the date is set for September 14th. Please put this date in your diaries!!
Robert himself continues to make good progress in and out of the wheelchair.

Tuesday 29th April

Robert continues to make progress and is able to sit in a wheelchair for over an hour. The Robert Alner Fund has now been officially launched. The fund has been set up to help Robert when he gets out of hospital. The main focus of the fund will be a dinner dance at Wincanton racecourse on Oct 11th. Tickets are available from Rebecca Morgan at Cheltenham racecourse Tel: 07767 612931 or by email to rebecca.morgan@jockeyclubracecourses.com Alternatively if you would like to send a donation or have any ideas to help the fund please do contact Rebecca, Dido Harding or Andrew Thornton

Thursday April 17th

Yesterday was very successful, Robert was sat in a wheel chair for 20 minutes.

Wednesday 16th April

Robert is progressing slowly, he is still on the ventilator but it is turned down to minimum setting. They are hoping to get him into a wheelchair this afternoon for the first time.

Sunday 31st March

Robert is still having to lie flat waiting for his bed sore to heal which is very frustrating, however his weaning from the ventilator continues to increase.

Tuesday 18th March

Robert's weaning from the ventilator continues to progress very well. Yesterday he managed 24 hours easily with it on a lower setting. As the support lessens he will be to start progressing on speech. Sadly he is still having to lie flat becuase of his bed sore. When it has healed he will be introducted to sitting up.

Thursday 13th March

Robert was extremely happy about Miko's 2nd at Cheltenham. He is now doing 5 hours off the ventilator at a time very easily.

Monday 11th March

Big thank you to ... we're not absolutely sure who? Someone within Racing UK for getting Robert a years VIP subscription and to Nick Luck for getting that ball rolling before the festival. Robert will now be able to watch it live on his lap-top. Sky TV is not logistically possible at the hospital.
Robert's chest infection has now cleared so weaning from the ventilator will begin shortly.

Saturday 8th March

Robert is now getting settled into life at Odstock hospital, the staff assessing him before starting with his rehabilitation journey. Two winners today and many appreciated hospital visits from friends and family are providing an effective medicine.

Monday 3rd March 2008

Robert is back at Salisbury Odstock Hospital.

Monday 25th February

Robert has returned to Frenchay Hospital to have another operation on his neck which is to be done today.

Tuesday 19th February

Robert has arrived at Salisbury Hospital, and settling into his new surroundings. Sally, Louise and Jennifer cannot thank the nursing staff enough at Frenchay hospital for their care and attention to Robert whilst with them.

Friday 15th Feb

We are pleased to announce Robert has a tranfer day to Odstock hospital for the 19th (next tuesday). He is very excited about this but equally sad to be leaving all the staff at Frenchay who have given him such excellent care and hope they come and visit.

Tuesday 12th Feb

Robert is making brilliant headway and is off the ventilator for 2 hours at a time. Today he enjoyed an afternoon in the sunshine studying the Ascot Sale catalogue while Jennifer turned the pages.
The Robert Alner Fund is now set up. We would like to thank Cheltenham Racecourse and the 16 to 24 Club for their generous donation to Robert and to Frenchay Hospital. Specially thanks goes to Rebecca Morgan for organizing a fantastic evening.
Many people have contacted us asking how they could contribute to the fund. For those wishing to make donations please make cheques payable to The Robert Alner Fund, at the attention of Jennifer Baines at Locketts Fm, Droop, BLANDFORD,Dorset, DT11 0EZ.

Saturday 9th Feb

Robert's breathing is much stronger. He could breathe all day by himself now but the doctors careful not to push him too quickly off the ventilator in fear of running another chest infection. For the moment he is off the ventilator for 35 minutes at a time.
He has been given a tranfer date of the 18th Feb to Salisbury Hospital. We are keeping everything crossed! It all depends how well the patient who is in the bed now manages on his trial period at home.

Tuesday 5th February

Robert is back in action of being weaned off the ventilator. On Sunday he had his first taste of fresh air in 87 days when 3 nurses wheeled him out on his hospital bed wrapped in warm attached to an oxygen tank.
We'd like to thank Paul Nicholls for his generosity donating his winning Hunter Chase percentage money to Robert, which was kindly matched by Fontwell Race Course at the weekend.
The Robert Alner Fund will be set up shortly and we are planning some fund raising activity later in the year.

Monday 04/02/08 12.30

Yesterday Robert had his first taste of fresh air for 80 days! He was taken for a ride outside on his bed ( with his oxygen cylinder ) for 15.mins.

Wednesday 30th January 11.45am

We are still waiting to hear about a transfer to Salisbury. Robert has started the programme of coming off the ventilator again. We now have a laptop in the hope that we can set up the racing channel for him to watch by his bedside, which is proving to be a little tricky to do as the reception at Bristol is poor, but we will get there!!

Wednesday 23rd Jan

We're off and running again!! Robert is over his chest infection and trying to get to grips with the voice-box for short intervals, the physio continues twice daliy.
We are not holding our breath but there is word he could be moved to Salisbury hospital next week, which would work out really well as his favourite nurse is leaving next week to train in another hospital.

Monday 21st January 12.30

Robert has taken a step back in that he has a chest infection again. For those of you that may be interested, there is a Ball at Cheltenham race course on Saturday night and money raised there is being donated to Robert and Frenchay Hospital. Contact Rebecca Morgan 01242 537654 at Cheltenham. A Trust fund for Robert will be opened by the end of this week.

Monday 14/01/08 10am

Robert is off the ventilator for 1/2hr every hour now.

08/01/07 14.00

Robert is being worked very hard. He is off the ventilator for 20mins every hour. Yesterday he talked for 3 minutes non stop with the voice box, which is impressive for a man of few words!!

Saturday 5th January

Robert is off the ventilator for 15 minutes every hour. Yesterday was his first day of swallowing something other than Ribena, chocolate ice-cream, a real treat!!
Hopefully he will be moved shortly to Salisbury's Intensive Care Unit awaiting a bed in the Spinal Ward.

Tuesday 1st January 2008

Robert's is extremely determined to be ventilator free, he now able to breathe for half an hour by himself.
Happy New Year to you all.