Special Features.

2009 AGM Provincial Grand Master Peter Hosker is pictured at the Masonic Samaritan Fund AGM in Leyland with Fund President Hugh Stubbs, Chief Executive Richard Douglas and 2010 Festival Chairman Stuart Thornber. CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS

Osteoarthritis of the knee - Written by David Nunn This condition is extremely common - indeed all of us get some wear and tear of our knees and a quarter of us will have symptoms bad enough to seek medical advice. For most people simple measures will suffice - loss of a little weight, strengthening the thigh muscles and minor changes to life style can be beneficial. For more serious pain, painkillers and anti-inflammatories can help. There are many other "conservative" treatments, which I am not going to discuss here. What does wear and tear actually mean? I need to explain some anatomy and some confusing terms which have different meanings when used technically and colloquially. CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

Motor Cycle Ride to Tanzania When most people reach their 70th birthday, they reach for their slippers and look forward to a cake laden with candles and a cosy family party with plenty to eat and drink.  But W. Bro. Douglas Holmes P Pr. AGReg, has another, more dramatic idea for celebrating his big Seven-O!   He plans to ride a motor-cycle for a gruelling 8,500 miles – including some of the most lonely and desolate parts of Africa - to raise money for the 2015 Masonic Samaritan Fund West Kent Festival. Douglas stressed: “The funding for this venture is complete. All donations raised by the Province, my lodge, chapter and myself will go to support the festival.  “I want to achieve something worthwhile while my body is still able to achieve a vertical position! I aim to take my Honda Transalp 650c.c. from Oakley House to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, East Africa, where my eldest son, lives.  This eight-week journey will make a dream come true. It will combine my love of motor-cycling with my love of Africa.”. CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

Parkinson's Disease Parkinson's disease (PD) was described for the first time in 1817 by James Parkinson, a general practitioner, who lived in Hoxton Square, London.  His famous monograph defined the motor (movement) changes which are characteristic of PD.  In many respects, his original clinical description has never been bettered. PD represents the commonest neurodegenerative condition.  It affects between 80 and 100,000 people in the United Kingdom (population 60m).  It is most common in the older age ranges, ie above the age of 50, though 1:7 patients are first diagnosed under the age of 50, my youngest patient was diagnosed at the age of 22. CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL ARTICLE