Parkinsons UK

The branch has had some interesting meetings of late, not to mention our Xmas Dinner which was held at the Bromsgrove Golf Club's restaurant. We were allowed 70 places there and all seats were taken. There followed the usual hilarious frivolity which is becoming more and more the Branch's trademark. In between courses balloons were inflated and then let loose to fly over the party with the hope they might land in someone's meal. The laughter and the cheerful general chatter was such that it attracted the staff to see what was going on. They were persuaded to buy lots of raffle tickets with the result that they walked off with a lot of the prizes to much cheering.

Barry, a stalwart of the Branch and a sufferer from the Parkinson's Disease which has advanced to the point that his walk has been reduced to a shuffle, announced that he was going to raise funds for Parkinsons by doing a sponsored walk round the Arrow Park lake in Redditch, a circuit of which is a distance of approximately a mile and a quarter. Barry duly carried out the observed walk in pouring rain, raising well in excess of £600. Well done, that man.

One of the last meetings of 2015 saw a young lady, Lesley, put on one of her Rock & Roll Muppet Shows. We weren't quite sure of what to expect as she erected a black curtain on a frame, but we soon found out as she hid behind it, set an Elvis recording going, then had an Elvis muppet dancing over the top of the curtain. It soon had us falling about with laughter as that and other muppet versions of rock & roll stars performed for us.

The first meeting of 2016 was memorable for an exceptionally interesting talk and slide show by Betty Whittaker. Widow of a former Redditch Council stalwart and Mayor, Walter Stranz, Betty took us through a history of Walter's life, from his childhood in Nazi Germany, through the time he escaped to England, settling and finishing his education in the UK, to finishing up in Redditch, where he became not only a councillor but one who had a strong influence on how Redditch progressed as it grew and expanded from a small market town to the large city it is now, before eventually falling victim to the Parkinson's Disease. Such was his mark on the town that the town square has been named after him.

The branch meets on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month at the Rocklands Club in Birchfield Road, Redditch. If you are a Parkinsons sufferer or a carer for someone who suffers from it feel free to call and check us out. You will find us a cheerful lot, always up for a laugh and we usually have something organised, such as a speaker or a photography show, etc. Have a look at our website www.reddibromparkinsons.co.uk for information or phone me on 01527 61814 for details.