Having completed and sent off the questionnaire I recently received from you, it occurs to me that the few lines I wrote about the changes Copper Heelers have brought about for me do not do justice to their revolutionary effect on my life.

Six years ago I moved to Ripponden in the South Pennines, to take advantage of the wonderful walking country in this area. Unfortunately the much wetter climate soon made its mark on me in the form of stiff and painful joints. I developed pain in my fingers, wrists, elbows and knees. Walking upstairs, stepping down rocky hillsides, carrying shopping, even lifting a cup, made me wince. I dreaded getting up in the mornings because lifting my dressing gown off its hook made my arm ache unbearably. My husband and I reached the conclusion that only by moving east, to a drier area, would my suffering be reduced, and we began to house hunt again.

I tried glucosamine, turmeric, calcium and magnetic therapy to no effect. When I saw your advertisement in The Times I had no confidence that it would help, but it seemed a small price to pay and I decided to give Copper Heelers a try. Before I had worn them for a week I noticed the difference. A month on, and my pains were gone. I have two pairs - for the shoes I wear most often - and have bought pairs for friends also.

The change in my life has been phenomenal. I can enjoy taking the dogs out for a couple of hours every day, walking up and down hills (even falling sometimes and bouncing up again). I can garden for whole afternoons without aching; I can carry my shopping, muck out the goats and carry bags of animal feed. I have been ski-ing, and during the summer my husband and I cycled 40 miles some days - a thing I thought I would never be able to do again. Also, we went with our family to an adventure park and went round an assault course. After our 5th go at sliding down a zip-line, I noticed that all the other people of our age were just standing around, watching their grandchildren - we were playing alongside ours.

Copper Heelers are probably the best thing I have ever bought. Thank you.

S.T. W.Yorks.