I want to say something specific to choir singers, because this comes up so often in our consultations. Don’t stop singing! Hearing loss shouldn’t stop you doing the things you love.

The problem I hear most often is this: people are taking their hearing aids out during rehearsals. When everyone around them starts singing, the volume overwhelms their devices and causes distortion. It is deeply frustrating. And then when the conductor stops to give notes, the moment when you most need to hear, but the aids are out and you miss it entirely. Some people end up not going at all. That makes me sad, because choir is genuinely one of the best things you can do for yourself.

Why this happens — and why it doesn’t have to

Cheaper or older hearing aids simply cannot handle sound levels above around 100 decibels. Think of it like this: the acoustic energy coming into the microphone is like electricity coming into a circuit. If too much energy arrives at once, the circuit is overwhelmed and what comes out is distorted noise rather than clear sound. A full choir in full voice generates exactly that kind of energy.

The hearing aids we fit at Meadows & Wood are engineered for exactly this kind of environment. They process high-energy sound cleanly, so you can stand in the middle of a choir, hear every voice around you and every word from the conductor, and your aids stay exactly where they belong in your ears, doing their job.

Get back out there

Getting back to choir, back to concerts, back to evenings that leave you feeling properly alive, that is what good hearing care is really about for me. It is not just about being able to hear. It is about being fully present in the things that matter to you. Music, community, connection. The kind of joy that is genuinely good for your health, from the inside out.

Local choirs worth exploring

If you’ve been thinking about giving choir a go, or getting back to one you’ve been missing, here are some brilliant local groups to check out. All of them welcome new members warmly and most need no experience whatsoever.

Worle Community Choir – Mixed voices, four-part harmony, every Thursday evening at St Marks Church, Worle. No auditions, no experience needed.  https://worlecommunitychoir.co.uk/

Rock Choir Weston-super-Mare – Pop and rock hits in brilliant harmony, all ages welcome, led by Mike Aris. Free taster session available.  https://www.rockchoir.com/uk-singing-group/Weston-Super-Mare-Late

Weston Choral Society – A four-part choral society with an ambitious repertoire, based in Weston-super-Mare.  https://www.westonchoralsociety.org.uk/

North Somerset Good Afternoon Choir – Every Wednesday afternoon at Nailsea Methodist Church. Welcoming, fun and open to everyone.  https://www.goodafternoonchoir.org/north-somerset-gac.html

South Somerset Good Afternoon Choir – Meets on Monday afternoons in Wincanton. Part of the wonderful Good Afternoon Choirs network.  https://www.goodafternoonchoir.org/

OTM Bristol Community Choir – Tuesday evenings at Alma Church, Clifton. Eclectic repertoire, no auditions, one of Bristol’s most active community choirs.  https://www.outtheremusicbristol.co.uk/community-choirs/

These groups, and many others like them, do something genuinely important. Singing together is good for your mental health, your physical health, your social life and your overall wellbeing. The research on this has been strong for years.

If any of this resonates, please do come and have a chat with us. There is no pressure and no obligation, just a conversation about your hearing and your life, with someone who genuinely cares about both. Our clinics are in Worle, Weston-super-Mare, Portishead, Clevedon and Shirehampton.

To book a consultation at any of our five clinics in Worle, Weston-super-Mare, Portishead, Clevedon or Shirehampton, call 01934 248426. This spring’s concerts are waiting for you. This season’s concerts and choir rehearsals are waiting for you.

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Toby Meadows, founder of Meadows & Wood Hearing Care, on modern hearing aids, local choirs and getting the most from live music this spring.

Spring is one of my favourite times of year, and live music is a big part of why. Bristol Beacon has a wonderful season planning including the London Symphony Orchestra performing Elgar’s The Dream of Gerontius and other fabulous musical events, it will be a really special season! Across Somerset, our theatres and concert halls come alive. But I often hear from people for whom hearing loss has quietly taken some of that pleasure away. Concerts feel effortful. You miss the detail. You come home deflated. If that sounds familiar, I want you to know it doesn’t have to be that way.

“It’s not a hearing aid as much as a clearing aid.” Alice Cooper, Starkey hearing aid wearer

One of the brands we stock is Starkey, a firm favourite with clients who love music. Rock legend Alice Cooper has worn Starkey hearing aids for years and describes them perfectly, that moment when music sounds like music again is exactly what we see with our own clients.

This matters especially for choir singers, and we have some brilliant ones nearby. I hear it regularly: people removing their hearing aids mid-rehearsal because the volume of those around them causes older devices to distort. Then when the conductor stops to give notes, the aids are out and they cannot hear a word. Frustrating, and more than a little embarrassing. The hearing aids we recommend are built to handle exactly that environment, so you can stand in a full choir, hear everything naturally, and leave your aids exactly where they belong.

As an independent practice, we are not tied to any single manufacturer. We take the time to find the right hearing aid for your life, and if live music or singing is part of that life, I genuinely enjoy that conversation. Come and see us.

To book a consultation at any of our five clinics in Worle, Weston-super-Mare, Portishead, Clevedon or Shirehampton, call 01934 248426. This spring’s concerts are waiting for you. Pop in or give us a call on 01934 248426.

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Think of them as your personal sound assistant, working quietly in the background whilst you get on with life. One of the biggest frustrations people tell us about is background noise making it hard to follow conversations. Modern AI technology recognizes speech patterns, so it can focus on the voices that matter most to you.

The connectivity is wonderful too. Whether it’s phone calls, your favourite radio programme, or the television, everything connects effortlessly. With new Auracast technology, you can even tune into public broadcasts at airports, theatres, or museums directly through your hearing aids. Some models now monitor health metrics too, offering peace of mind for you and your loved ones.

Let’s Have a Chat

If you’re curious about how modern hearing care could enhance your quality of life and happiness, we’d love to hear from you. Pop in for a no-obligation chat at our Worle clinic, or give us a call on 01934 248426, our team are here to help make your 2026 your smartest year yet!

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There are two main types:

• Sensory presbycusis – damage to the tiny hair cells in the cochlea
• Neural presbycusis – loss of nerve cells that carry signals to the brain

Early signs include difficulty hearing high-pitched sounds like birdsong or children’s voices, turning up the TV or phone, struggling with conversations in noisy places, listening fatigue, or tinnitus (ringing in the ears). Some also notice dizziness or a feeling of fullness.

Although ageing is the main cause, other factors can speed it up—such as family history, certain medications, prolonged noise exposure, smoking, or heavy alcohol use. Hearing loss can’t be reversed, but you can slow the progression by protecting your ears, reviewing medication with your GP, and maintaining overall health.

Why act early? Untreated hearing loss can affect much more than hearing. It may strain relationships, cause social withdrawal, increase the risk of depression, and is linked to cognitive decline, including dementia.

The good news: today’s modern hearing aids are discreet, comfortable, and personalised to your needs—helping you stay connected and confident.

If you’re over 50, include a hearing check in your routine health care. Even if your hearing seems fine, a baseline test makes it easier to track changes over time.

Your hearing is precious—protect it to keep enjoying conversations, music, and laughter for years to come. If you are concerned about your hearing, book an appointment today at one of our local clinics in Worle, Shirehampton, Portishead, Weston-super-Mare or Clevedon, Bristol. We’re here to help.

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We’ve all been looking for creative ways to stay in touch with everyone, and we thought it was a good time to pass our ideas on to you. As well as friends and family, you can even use these tips to speak to us!

Using technology to bridge the gap

One of the first things we did was to start looking for a technological solution to the problem. We spoke to lots of people and found that video conferencing software, like Zoom, was becoming a popular way to have face-to-face conversations with anyone.

We were recommended Zoom and decided to try it. It’s a program that you can download on your computer, laptop, or phone that allows you to video chat with anyone. You can chat to 8 people at once, so it would be a great way to host your next book club.

It’s free too, so you don’t even have to worry about paying for the service. As with a lot of technology, though, it can be a little bit tricky to get set-up, so we’ll walk you through it…

How to get started with Zoom

First, you’re going to want to decide where to download Zoom to. This could be your computer, your mobile phone, or your tablet.

If you’re on the computer, open your internet browser and navigate to the Zoom website. Once you’re there, click the big “Sign up, It’s Free” button in the top right and follow the instructions. The steps are quite simple. First, you’ll enter your email address and it will ask for some simple information. Once you’re signed up, you can download the program, install it, and login with the email address and password that you set up.

If you’re on your tablet or phone, you’ll need to open whichever app store your device uses. For example, if you’re using an Apple product, you’ll need to open the App Store. For an Android product, you’ll need to open the Google Play Store. Search for Zoom in the app search bar and download it. Once the app has been downloaded, you can create an account through the app, sign in, and get started!

Now that you’ve got Zoom installed and ready to go, you can start chatting to friends and family. To create a ‘room’, simply press ‘New Meeting’ and then ‘Start Meeting’. To invite people, press ‘Participants’, then ‘Invite’ in the bottom left, and finally ‘Copy URL’. You can then send this URL to your friends and family so they can join the ‘room’ and start chatting to you.

If you have any problems, feel free to get in touch with us and we’ll see if we can give you a hand. Zoom have a great starting guide, though, if you’re stuck at any stage, just click here.

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How the pursuit of perfection began

“We met in the evening at the home of Christian Tøpholm to talk about the future over a bottle of Red Martini. When the bottle was empty, we shook hands and said, “We’ll do it!” – Erik Westermann

Widex was founded in 1956, by Christian Tøpholm, a gifted electronics engineer and Erik Westermann, a successful businessman. To this day, the company remains under the ownership of the two families.

In 1949, both men joined Oticon, a Danish hearing aid manufacturer. Tøpholm, as a factory manager, responsible for technical development; and Westermann as an export manager, responsible for sales outside of Denmark. With Tøpholm’s vision to compete through technology and in-house manufacturing capabilities, and Westermann’s success creating contacts in markets through Europe and America, the two of them became a dream team, forming a strong friendship. Oticon’s annual production saw a tenfold increase from 1,000 to 10,000, whilst exports rose from 20% to 90% of the company’s turnover.

By 1955, the two men were becoming disillusioned, feeling their valuable work was not being appreciated by management, and mutually decided to resign.

On 30th November 1955, they shared a bottle of Red Martini, the only drink Tøpholm had available at his home that evening. Neither was enamoured by the prospect of returning to their respective industries and fuelled by the boldness served to them from the contents of the bottle, resolved to set up their own company.

In January 1956, they were ready to begin their plan. The cellar beneath Christian Tøpholm’s suburban home in Naerum was taken into use as a combined development laboratory, workshop and production hall. Funds were tight in the early days, and the company’s first year was a bit of an uphill struggle.

However, through hard work, dedication to quality, ground-breaking technology, gifted craftsmanship, and some goodwill from family and business associates, Widex successfully released their first hearing aid mid-way through 1956, the Widex 561, an elegant pocket model. From there, the rest is history.

Today, Widex is renowned for producing exceedingly natural sounding hearing aids through a commitment to innovation, focus on quality craftsmanship, and dedication to being the only CO2 neutral hearing aid manufacturer. They are also proud to offer their hearing aids exclusively to independent hearing practices like us!

Widex through and through

Key to Widex’s ability to continually produce quality, innovative solutions that few can match, is the dedication to Christian Tøpholm’s vision to manufacture equipment and components to keep every process in house. From nano coating and electronics mounting to rubber moulding and coil-winding, Widex is committed to producing all the components of their hearing aids, to ensure that every part of the hearing aids adhere to their stringent quality standards. Nothing is left to chance.

Sustainability

Widex has always been committed to corporate social responsibility and ethical standards. In 2010, Widex took its passion for advanced engineering and social responsibility one step further with the construction of their completely CO2 neutral headquarters in Lynge, Denmark.

Innovative, energy-efficient, wind-powered, Widex’s headquarters reflect the proud Danish tradition of environmental awareness, making them the only CO2 neutral hearing aid producer in the world.

The design of Widex headquarters utilises a combination of old and new technology to provide a truly unique building. These include a geothermal system that uses groundwater as a heat reservoir to store an entire years’ worth of heating and cooling, the first of its kind in Denmark, as well as the use of solar cells and recycling of rainwater.

But the most visible contribution is the windmill which delivers more power annually than Widex uses. The windmill also means that Widex is a WindMade certified company – the first global consumer label for companies that use wind energy.

Striving for perfection

From the very beginning, Widex has been dedicated to its vision of providing perfect sound to everyone. Christian Tøpholm’s ability to see possibilities others had overlooked and his attention to detail, was what set Widex instruments apart from the beginning. Widex’ pursuit of natural sound has always guided everything the company does. Leading audiological research, quality craftmanship and the unique technology behind natural sound have always set the company apart. Widex led the shift to digital, while persevering the warmth and range of analog. They pioneered the use of new processors, improving sound quality while eliminating latency. And with AI they have made sound uniquely natural for every owner. Now, with their most recent technology, WIDEX MOMENT they have achieved the ultimate goal – a sound so natural, it doesn’t sound like a hearing aid.

Supporting independent hearing professionals

Widex have always had a slightly different way of doing business, and now they are really setting themselves apart by making their hearing aids exclusively available to independent hearing practices, meaning that their products are not available in high street stores or the NHS.

Premium plus

With the launch of their new hearing aid, Widex Moment, Widex have repositioned themselves to become the only premium plus hearing aid manufacturer in the industry. This is a reflection of the superior level of quality, design and service which Widex are renowned for.

Widex Moment will be available for demonstration to our wonderful clients when we reopen. If you’d like to be one of the first in the country to try the new Widex Moment, register your interest with us on 01277 264938 or info@meadowswood.co.uk.

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