Corduroy Corner

Back in November last year I received an invitation to join a national medical research project. Involving 500,000 people aged 40 – 69 from all around the UK, “UK Biobank” has been set up to support a diverse range of research intended to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illness, and the promotion of health throughout society.

Taking part involves a single visit of about 90 minutes to the local UK Biobank Assessment Centre where you first of all sit in front of a computer screen and answer some questions on health and lifestyle, then move around the centre from one standard medical test to another – providing blood and urine samples, being weighed and measured and having your relevant medical history taken along with a record of any prescription or over-the-counter drugs you take on a regular basis.

I agreed to join the study and my appointment was on 21st January, in Reading (about 20 miles from the Wingfield Ward). I was given special leave to go (escorted by a friend).

It seems the invitations were sent out by postcode area, and I found myself sat between a small group of people from my neighbourhood, including a lady I knew from when we served together as School Governors back in the mid to late 1980’s. Besides her and myself, there were three men of similar age, height and build, all wearing similar clothes (corduroy trousers, a casual shirt and woollen jumper). She was chatting with a couple of these men and that was how I discovered they all lived within a stone’s throw of me.

(Having noted the corduroy trousers there, I thought no more of it until today’s meeting of the Spirituality Project group, where once again I found myself sat beside another man of that ‘certain age’ where corduroy trousers, a casual shirt and woollen jumper are the fashion choice). I’m starting to seriously consider whether I need to rush out and buy Vic some cords so that he can get in the spirit of the neighbourhood.