July 2006

This month I've spent some time with the Parkinson's group, most of whom suffer from the disease. (Parkinson's is a progressive neurological condition affecting movements such as walking, talking, and writing. Parkinson's occurs as result of a loss of nerve cells in one part of the brain.)
Therefore the aim of the session is for the group to get together to do some exercise but also to talk to each other, both individually, and as a group. Some people without the disease do attend-for instance family members of a sufferer or people who have friends who suffer with it.

There was also a 'Race the Train' activity this month, as part of the 2 week Keighley Festival. The idea is to race the train, on a bike, from Keighley to Oxenhope. The railway track is 5 miles long (it is where 'The Railway Children' was filmed) but the road is slightly longer and involves a long uphill section. The train usually takes about 20 minutes but the first person on a bike took only 13 minutes. I was taking the time of the racers-not cycling!!!!!!