Club News
Alan Green: Following a fall and subsequent deterioration of his Parkinsons we have to report the sad passing of Alan on 19th April. Our heartfelt condolences go to Janice and family.
April meeting: Chairman, Roger Gourd, welcomed 17 members and guest Andrew Carver and our speakers, Daniel Doust and Nick Brown from TED Protect.
Chairman Roger Gourd presents tie and badge.
Almoner, Andrew Kellard reported: Alan Green is in hospital. Graham Fox has Covid-19. Dave Garner and Vincent Fosdike are sheltering from Covid. Andrew himself is not fully well and wating for doctors to identify what’s wrong.
Andrew Banfield asked for outstanding bookings asap for the Chatham Historical Dockyard outing on 26th July 2022.
New Luncheon Secretary Chris Moniz was introduced. Please notify lunch changes by 10.30am the prior Friday for Tuesday 31st May meeting to chris@moniz.co.uk T: 020 8660 6063. Please notify Member News to Almoner, Andrew Kellard T: 01737 554055. Please email editor@coulsdonprobus.co.uk with articles/news for the Newsletter
Speaker today: Barrie Friend: The Defence of Britain 1940.
June (31st May): Ian Payne: Language is a-changing.
Speakers: Daniel Doust and Nick Brown – Personal Panic Alarms
“HELP IS ON THE WAY” It was 2 o’clock in the morning. Joan and her husband John were sleeping. John is a long- term sufferer of diabetes and started to have a seizure as his sugar levels had dropped severely low. Joan hadn’t heard him and was totally unaware at this stage that John was in serious trouble. John managed to press the button on his device and TED Alert responded instantly. An ambulance was called and sent directly to their address. Joan was then followed up with a phone call to make her aware that John had used his device and that help was on its way. John had actually been supplied with his tracking device the day before this had happened and would otherwise not be here to tell his story of how his life had been saved that day.
Daniel explained the button worn round the neck. A sudden impact (fall) and it is activated automatically or it can be pressed in an emergency. It connects to TED Alert which does all the contacting and knows where you are through GPS tracking. The device needs to be charged every night.
The UK has 16 million people over 65, 32% of whom live alone. 6000 deaths every year as a result of a home accident. Home accidents age 67-74: men 89,000, women 157,000. Age over 75: men 102,000, women 303,000. These are the figures which justify having a personal panic alarm.Nick told us about other devices, such as the home version with loudspeaker. They recommended a KeySafe so that the emergency services can get in. There are many such products on the market. Key ‘personal alarm for elderly’ into Google.
The EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE by Vincent Fosdike
Choosing a present is one of life’s second tier challenges. To me at least it falls below planning to move home or deciding to give up car ownership/driving at all, but definitely more difficult than what to have for lunch. It may be on a par with whether to replace a beloved pet or the pollution free lawn mower that is getting too heavy to push but has been in the family for 3 generations. One may seek advice from family members as to what they really want but probably only get “I’ll think about it” as a reply. This of course cuts both ways.
And surely we don’t want any more clutter for our children to dispose of. Indeed I have been offered a down payment on a skip with my birthday card. Not much more subtle than the first year’s contribution to an inflation-proofed funeral plan! I suppose they mean well but then they could just be treading on thin ice, (grandchildren’s trust fund review if you know what I mean).
In the light of the above I suggested that gifts should be in the form of consumables, perhaps extending beyond the predictable Bottle and Chocolates.
Good old free enterprise has come to the rescue. The gift voucher that allows recipients to choose an Experience ranging from a flight in a Spitfire to a sedate meal in a restaurant of quality. Nothing to dispose of afterwards unless the flight goes pear-shaped.
I choose the realisation of a childhood dream, a track drive in an Aston Martin DB5 (the James Bond model), followed by drives in an E-type Jaguar and the wild open topped Caterham 7 with roll bar and helmet. The combination of cars and tracks changes regularly. The recipient does all the
booking and this can require some commitment to optimise your dream and of course might be a long way from home. Mine “came together” after about 14 months. Prior to this the nearest I have been to the Aston was a small model and the cinema. Of course it is a nostalgic event the GT cars dating from the 60s and 70s. We are told they will be insured, (good). Three days before the treat a lengthy form appears on your screen. Yes there is insurance but only for the cars, the word indemnity triggers my litigators twitch. You take unlimited liability for injuries to their staff, the general public and the track owners although all participants sign an acceptance of the dangerous nature of the activity, which may reduce their chances of bankrupting you (volenti non fit injuria), other legal opinions are available! Most people at the check-in did not read it.
Still, it is that, or no ignition keys.
Well it was a very rewarding experience. Topped off with admiration from my minder ex-professional racing driver who was delighted with my “racing gear change” on the run into the corners. “People don’t know how to do that” he said, and I was glad I could still remember it myself. For a few moments the past is alive and as we all know “they do things differently there”!