First of all I need to explain about Lifeline - many of you ask about it from time to time. Lifeline is an organisation run by our Local Authority. It costs just under thirty pounds a month. For this I get a large degree of satisfaction and comfort. I wear a strap with a button on it on my wrist (I could have a pendant round my neck if I so desired) and should I need assistance I press the red button. This works in my bungalow and in the garden but no further. Lifeline then speak to me - the speaker is in the sitting room and if I am there I can answer. If I am elsewhere they ring my phone and if I still don't answer they ring my son, who lives in the next village - if he fails to answer they send someone round.
When I fell and broke my hip last October I knew I had broken it - I heard it break. I lay on the floor in the sitting room, where I fell ,and it was ten o'clock at night. When the person on duty answered my panic button she asked if I needed assistance - I told her I had fallen and broken my hip could she call my son. She said she would bypass my son and call an ambulance which she did. Within an hour I was in hospital. First class service. Well worth the monthly outlay. When I walk I always have my mobile with me and it has both my son's number and the Lifeline number on it so I am still safe. I don't know whether all Local Authorities provide the service or whether it is just this one. I do know that many people on this estate use them (many retired folk live round here)
I have already had my walk today - it is another lovely day of clear blue sky and a gentle breeze. I did a shorter route on the flat - nearly falling yesterday has given my confidence a bit of a knock. My son gave me a bit of a telling off saying I must not walk if I am tired - he is quite right, I need to concentrate on what I am doing. I hardly saw a soul (human that is) but I think I have learned 'Blackbird'. About every fifty yards or so a different male blackbird took up the story and I came to the conclusion that what he was saying was 'Look at me. I found a beautiful mate, we built a nest, she laid some eggs and kept them warm and we have babies now which are just leaving the nest and we are done - aren't we clever ?' And as if to endorse this there on a lawn were four young blackbirds with mother busily cramming food into a beak. A bit later a different 'song' as a blackbird was shouting 'watch out human about' over and over again. I've got a long way to go with bird language but I have made a start.