HE WAS one of the best-loved figures in English cricket.
But no one gave the older man a second glance as he walked past the bronze sculpture marking his contribution to the sport every day.
Unbeknown to the outside world, former cricket umpire Dickie Bird was stricken by loneliness and an increasing sense of isolation after suffering health problems, including a stroke.
Now, his experience is to be used to help improve the lives of older people throughout Hull and the East Riding.
Health experts from around the world will gather in the city later this month for an international conference revolutionising the care of older people around the globe.
It has been spearheaded by Hull's chief medical officer, Professor Ian Philp, the Government's national clinical director for older people until 2008. He was awarded the CBE for services to health and older people in 2009.
Prof Philp presented BBC documentaries How To Live Longer and The Young Ones, where six celebrities, including Dickie Bird, were filmed as part of the restaging of a Harvard experiment, which tested whether reliving part of your earlier life could make you feel young again.
"Dickie Bird told us he would pass this statue every day and not once did anyone speak to him," Prof Philp said.
"He was incredibly lonely and he developed a lot of health problems."
Along with the other celebrities, Lionel Blair, Sylvia Syms, Liz Smith, Kenneth Kendall and Derek Jameson, Mr Bird spent a week in a house with 1970s furniture and home appliances, right down to the swirly carpets and wallpaper.
They were transported back to 1975, a time when the celebrities felt active, involved and engaged in the world around them.
After taking part in the show, Mr Bird, now 81, said it transformed his life for the better and his performance in physical and mental tests showed dramatic improvements.
He told the team: "I had lost all my confidence, getting scared of going out and meeting people. Now, it has come back to me."
Prof Philp has spent 25 years researching the health of older people and he is convinced a sea change has to happen.
"We spend 60 per cent of the NHS budget on older people," he said. "A lot of that money could be better spent if we listened more to what older people want from the health and social care system."
That is exactly what the Easy Care Project, established in 1989 and formed from an international network of policy-makers, academics, clinicians and volunteers, is all about.
By conducting global research, there is clear insight into the needs of older people.
"We know from the data we have and studies in 50 countries that the number one concern for older people is pain," said Prof Philp.
"Twelve per cent wanted help right now because they were in severe pain from something that wasn't being treated.
"Ten per cent wanted help right now to treat loneliness.
"The third issue was financial difficulties and access to benefits could make a difference to people's lives.
"The fourth concern is about memory and memory loss.
"If you can direct people towards support for those things, older people can become more independent and enjoy better health, cost less to the system and contribute to the economy more."
Prof Philp says current care for older people is based on post-war Britain.
"The Second World War settlement, where we worked and then were looked after, has broken down now," he says.
"It is not economically sustainable. We have to be aware of welfare, care and the compassion and improvement of individuals' lives, at whatever age."
Key to the new approach is tapping into the economic contribution that could be made by older people after retirement.
Working with the World Bank and a professor in health and economics at Istanbul Hospital, as well as Chief Secretary to the Treasury Danny Alexander, Prof Philp insists older people can contribute meaningfully to their communities as well as their own families.
"If you can identify in the system what isolated people want, you can meet that need and create a broader set of policies that allow people to contribute to their families and communities," he said.
Global leaders will descend on Hull for the major conference at Hull Royal Infirmary's medical education centre on Friday.
"Hull's civic leaders are getting behind this project and we're highlighting Hull as a gateway to the world," says Prof Philp.
"A project run out of Hull will drive change across the world."
With the research done, the project is now being put into action.
In Hull, GPs will be writing to every person aged 75 and over to inform them of the scheme.
They will get a telephone assessment through a call centre and people will be taken through a checklist to identify any concerns and needs.
They will then be given help and advice, but that will not be the end of it.
GPs will be given the results of the assessment and be able to make referrals across the healthcare system.
Prof Philp says: "We know in Hull, one of the biggest problems is isolation of frail and older people, so we can use our resources to mobilise support for older people."
Initially run as a pilot project, it will roll out across the city by 2017, with similar work being undertaken in the East Riding.
"The City of Culture team has said by 2017, every single day they will make a difference to the lives of at least one person in the world," Prof Philp said.
"The Easy Care Project will be making a difference to 100 people's lives in Hull alone."
Dickie Bird: 'I make a conscious effort to get out'FORMER cricket umpire Dickie Bird admitted he struggled with depression after suffering a stroke in 2009.
In a newspaper interview after his TV appearance in The Young Ones, he said he understood why some sportsmen were driven to suicide after their playing careers.
After his stroke, he spent six weeks in hospital and lost his strength and his confidence.
He says people have to fight against feelings of loneliness and isolation to force them- selves to get out of bed in the morning.
"To anybody who has had a serious illness and lost confidence in themselves, I would urge this – keep busy," he said.
"I know that if I just sat in my chair on my own at home all day, I wouldn't be around for long. I'd snap, I'd go crackers, I'd lose the will to carry on.
"It's the worst thing you can do, to go into yourself, to stop doing the everyday tasks you used to do before."
He said making an effort to get out of the house every day makes a difference to his general wellbeing.
"In my case, I made – and am still making – a conscious effort to get outside to meet people and talk to them, even if I just go down to the supermarket or to watch Yorkshire play," he said.
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Manager and chairman Jamie Waltham with the new team shirt.
Hull United AFC players celebrate a goal in the 4-1 win last night.
