April seems to have flashed by in an instance and here we are in May.
It is national walking month here in the UK and there are so many beautiful walks. In much need of getting my own legs going, I took myself off to Paxton Pits,which if you have never been and live near by, is well worth a visit, especially at this time of year where the cormorants are nesting. It has the biggest inland colony of cormorants in the UK and watching them sweep across the lakes carrying huge sticks for nesting is a joy.
Watching them do what they do without an architect or planning permission and not bound by the man made rules and social nonsense makes you envy them their freedom. I'm guessing there is no 'jobs worth' cormorant giving instructions!.so having done the flat walk of the reserve and woods, the legs needed a hill and so of to Sandy. Where half way up the winding hill to the Hill fort, I met an 83 year old on her way down, which obviously meant she had done the worst of the slow steep climb in the other direction. I was more the impressed, she looked slightly concerned but it was all down hill for her walk wise. It is no mean feat if you take the steep path way which she had....if at 83 i still have the will to do it, i'd be pleased. The view is worth the climb and the reward of the cuckoo at the top was certainly a bonus. My first one in spring. Having watched the cormorants nest build, this hill was once home to an Iron age fort and with various info boards showing how they lived and built there homes.....well we have just learnt how to complicate matters with so called progress. They were true environmentalists without having to invent how to do it.
It's never far from my thoughts that at the basis of enjoying life is good health, it is certainly true that without it,life is much more difficult and I'm sure that 83 year old enjoyed excellent health to have the desire to do it. All of which leads me on to Patrick Kingsley's talk.
We were delighted to have Patrick come and speak to our group in Cambridge
I'm sure those that attended would agree what a font of knowledge and more importantly the practical experience to back it up, he is. As some of you said after, you could listen to him for ages. I don't think i have ever heard Patrick speak, where he finishes before his time.
He focused of course mostly on cancer and touches slightly on MS. I think he would be great to ask him back in the future to cover other aspects of health. If any of you purchased a copy of the New Medicine book, you'll find it an excellent read and a generous sharing of knowledge.
He was a head of his time in many ways and you wonder just who will be the maverick doctors of our day...they are few and far between of course.
Yet still the 'free' treatment that is the prescribed route for NHS patients with a cancer diagnosis is based in the dark corners of 1939...we have technically not moved on from that time...the format is now 75 years old and we call it modern medicine! It is only the drugs that have changed but the format remains the same - yet the problem is worse than ever.
Health shouldn't be dictated by influential financial lobbying!
Interesting article in the Times and the Telegraph today on Lord Saatchi's bill to allow Dr's to be less tied to these conventional approaches and this appalling act. It seems a large study has been carried out on the public to see if there is an appetite for this and it seems there is - well what a surprise! It's good to know the general public would like a more innovative approach to health as the reality is what they have isn't always the best of what's out there.
According to Andy Lewis from the quackometer website, he thinks this will open the door to charlatans etc - clearly the guy thinks doctors need laws to apply thought! Or that we have medicine according to Andy Lewis and our health remains in the hands of the closed minded.........
A talk i really recommend is called Survive and Thrive and delivered by health journalist Philip Day. There are 2 dates near us. The first is Saturday 5th July 10.30-4.30 in Norwich at the Holiday Inn, Cromer Road. Norwich or the other one is slightly nearer at the Suffolk Golf and Spa Hotel, Fornham St Genevieve, Bury St Edmunds - on the 6th July 10.30-4.30. The cost being £25 if booked in advance. Details on the website www.credence.org and click on events.
Well worth it and will stir the health passions i'm sure. If you check out the website, you'll find a date for a talk near you.
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