Issue 30

Summer 2008

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Lifeline v Maurice Line

A few weeks ago I was sitting up in bed reading, at 12.15, about to put my book aside and go to sleep, when the door opened and a lady of uncertain age came quietly in. She immediately introduced herself: "I'm Life Line", she said. "Hello, I'm Maurice Line", I replied with what I thought was considerable presence of mind in the circumstances - for ladies do not normally enter my bedroom late at night. (I was alone because my wife was in a care home).

The explanation is really quite simple. Life Line is a scheme whereby people living alone hang a pendant round their necks with a button that can be pressed in cases of emergency - if, for example, one falls over and cannot get up. At the other end an alarm is set off, and the telephone number of the caller is rung, to establish what plight he or she is in. If there is no reply it is assumed that the person is unable to reach the phone, is unconscious or perhaps dead.

I wear one of these pendants at my wife's insistence, and must have pressed the button accidentally when taking it off. I did hear the phone ring, but decided whoever it was could wait till morning. The helper on call at the time rushed out, let herself in by a key that is kept in a coded metal box embedded in an outside wall, and crept in so quietly that I heard nothing until the bedroom door opened. She searched the whole house, my bedroom being her last hope of finding a body, alive or dead. She said how relieved on the one hand she was to see me alive and well, and on the other how afraid she was that I might have a heart attack from shock. Luckily I had worked out what had happened by then, and was able to greet her with some composure as well as apologies for bringing her out.

I do not recommend this as a way of getting women into one's bedroom late at night. I can however vouch for the fact that the LifeLine system works very well.

Maurice Line

Looking at Churches Annual Outing

Beverley was the destination for the annual outing of the group where we had guided tours of both the Minster and St Mary’s. Both tours were very informative and interesting.  It was fascinating to put into practice all the knowledge that Patrick and Michael had been sharing with us over the past year.

Nine of the group climbed the tower and were rewarded with the sight of this magnificent tread wheel which was the way medieval builders were able to hoist large heavy objects from the floor of the Minster up into the roof space.

Tony Wilson