Stepping out with Cressroads’ Richard Hanney, until 36 steps to go
THIRTY-SIX OF Scottish author John Buchan’s Thirty-Nine Steps, and a same-sounding ‘Hannay’ for the handle of the practice manager of Cressroads’ Surgery on Alresford-on-Arle’s Station Road as that of the innocent man on the run in Alfred Hitchcock’s 75-year-old film adaptation of a novel featuring as popular an all-action hero with stiff upper lip and miraculous knack for extraditing himself from whatever sticky situation so often dogs his every next day.
“Sounds a lot like our very own Richard,” smiles his ladies’ team on reception facing across Cressroads’ Station Road to witness the flickering blue light of reduced plod power in a town reporting a 79% increase in the abuse of its old age pensioners.
No less its town hack. But Blogsbody is unlikely ever to tell it as it is for himself and others his vintage as well as seriously much older folk living out their days in the increasingly violent self-styled watercress capital of the world.
Put under increased risk of strokes and heart attacks
‘Thank you, Richard … Yes, Monday’s fine - and, ever grateful to you,’ Blogsbody signed off his Wednesday morning email to Hanney-the-Surgery, after a flurry of activity in and out of the Word Factory of his city-built Lower House of Windsor required he respond to a second email from his Surgery in Cressroads.
From: Hanney Richard (Alresford Surgery) <r.hanney@nhs.net>
To: Eva, <irvingdylan@aol.com>
Sent: Thu, Nov 4, 2010 9:54
Subject: DR P STOKES: STRICTLY PATIENT-DOCTOR
Dr Stokes is back Monday - will put in his file for his return if that is ok?
Richard Hanney, Practice Manager
With the lovely Eva Easton embedded in his email details, Blogsbody first messaged Cressroads’ Doctor Peter ‘Bean’ Stokes via Practice Manager Hanney to want to confirm his next week’s appointment, change a prescription for statins and wonder about his continuing need for an alternative medicine recommended by the practice’s celebrity Chelsea FC physio.
From: Eva, [irvingdylan@aol.com]
Sent: 04 November 2010 07:14
To: Hanney Richard (Alresford Surgery)
Subject: RE: DR P STOKES - STRICTLY PATIENT-DOCTOR
Have checked with your reception desk and look forward to seeing you again at 15:40 Mon., 08 Nov.
You ordered a return to my taking 20mg Simvastatin tabs - one each night - for cholesterol. But your patient chooses instead to heed news surrounding the dangers of statins - Simvastatin in particular - and media reports that warn this generic drug mostly succeeds in putting patients under ‘increased risk of strokes and heart attacks’.
As a consequence, your advice is sought in respect of changing my prescription from Simvastatin to Lipitor.
Before his recent retirement, your colleague Dr Green, of Chelsea FC physio fame, diagnosed me as suffering from ‘too many birthdays’. Echo, echo! And he recommended ‘1500mg daily Glucosamine + Chondroitin’.
As a consequence, your advice is sought also in respect of the wisdom of Blogsbody - or, indeed, any old age pensioner - continuing to invest their dwindling funds in this alternative medicine.
Until Monday afternoon, Mike
