David Langridge wrote: > > The messsage from Barbara Yacos could not have been sent on a more > appropriate day when Charles and Di were officially divorced and Di was > divested of her Royal Highness title.And so dear Barbara if you want to find > out more from Di about the village you no longer have to curtsy and say Ma'm > or in your words 'bow and scrape' and can with impunity greet her by saying > 'Hi Di'without risking being frog marched to the Tower of London and > suffering the ultimate penalty for disrespect.Yes we still have a few old > fashioned customs here even if we are a washout at the Olympics.Talking > about washouts if your are thinking of visiting this week - don't- it's > raining.I'm not certain by the way that Di is still patron of the Parkinson > Disease Society.She has resigned from most of her official positions no > doubt to concentrate on learning how to manage on her measly fifteen million > severance packet small fry to what I suspect someone like Ivana Trump got.I > digress. > > Lying awake last night during the witching hour my imagination began to run > riot.Was there really a Parkinson village - a whole village inhabited only > by Parkies - a sort of Parkinson list in the flesh? It would have to be in > the depths of the English countryside.There would be lots of picturesque > cottages with thatched rooves and roses growing over the walls-gardens full > of hollyhocks lupins and foxgloves; neat little vegetable patches devoted to > growing Broad(Faba) beans.Neighbours would greet each other with little > remarks like 'Come in and have some of my cyder vinegar- it's very good for > cramp.Or 'There is a new man moved in to Honeysuckle cottage - you wouldn't > think he has Parkinsons - mind you they say he is up to 3000mg a day.He'll > pay for it one day mark my words ' Yes, gossip woould be rife. In the > village hall there would be something going on every day - on Sunday a > constipation forum hosted by Dr Block( limited seating- bring your own > stools).Tuesday morning Tai Chi classes. The village pub aptly called - wait > for it -yes - 'The Parkinson Arms' would have a cheery 'On Bar' and a more > sedate 'Off Bar'. It would be noted for it's Pub Grub particularly it's 'All > day protein free breakfast' and it's Faba bean soup naturally only to be > eaten outside weather permitting. > > There would be frequent jollifications on the village green including wheel > chair racing and attemps to beat the record for the slowest 100m yard > sprint. The village stocks would be revived and unhelpful neurologists > pelted with rotten fruit.The village elders would discourage computers and > Internet access to the listserver so that villagers would be distracted from > participating in the communal life. > > Where I mused was this Parkinson paradise? Must be in middle England not far > from Stratford on Avon right on the tourist route and might it not attract > flocks of visitors to view the curious inhabitants just like the Amish > settlements.Suddenly I began to think of the commercial possibilities and > the opportunities to raise money for Parkinson research.And then with a > flash of inspiration I remembered that William Shakespeare was borne in > Stratford and might it not be possible to proove that he suffered from > Parkinsons disease.After all scholars studying the texts of his plays had > come up with all sorts of weird and wonderful theories - that he had not > written the plays , that he was gay, that he was an extra terrestial being > etc etct. It might sound > stupid of me but it was only at this point that I suddenly realized that the > main clue to the Bard being one of us was in his name William SHAKE spear.As > we all know there appears to be some hereditary element in the cause of > Parkinsons.One of his ancestors was no doubt standing spear in line waiting > to repell an attack by savages from Ireland,Scotland or Wales and his hand > was shaking not through fear but because the poor guy had early onset > Parkinsons. His mates would have taunted him 'Look ye there-Will shakes > spear'And so the name stuck.I am sure there must be some Shakespeare > scholars on this highly intelligent list who can come up with some > quotations further proving the point.And maybe John Cottingham could be > persuaded to write one of his brilliant programmes for searching Shakespeare > on CD Rom for key words.And if the connection could be shown what an asset > the Bard would be to the Parkinson cause because he is truly immortal and > translated into over 50 languages;worth at least 100 Alis or Billie Grahams. > > Whether this flight of fancy came through drug induced hallucinations,or > indigestion after pigging out on to much cheese after a protein free day, I > cannot tell but hopefully it has not caused any offence and in the cold > light of day I have to report that Di has indeed resigned as patron of the > Parkinson Society .Although the society do not appear to have a village they > have recently opened a residential home with 19 beds. What can one say? Profound!?!?! It leaves me thinkin' and grinnin'!! Excellent piece, David! SOON! Gaylon -- _ _________________________________________ _ / )| |( \ / / |"God does not keep us from life's storms,| \ \ _( (_ | He walks with us through them." | _) )_ (((\ \>|_/->_________________________________<-\_|</ /))) (\\\\ \_/ / \ \_/ ////) \ / "On the Suncoast of Florida, USA" \ / \ _/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ \_ / / / <[log in to unmask]> \ \