Dear LPG, 

I took a picture today in the Borough of Medway, where from time to time I find myself visiting my brother.  It has been a while as everyone will know because, even now that we have all been set free again, getting this very special trip organised took a little time. 

But, one-day last week, I found myself in a car and on the way (thanks to my daughter).  It has been just under two years since I have had the opportunity to go anywhere past the local shops in a car and I have no doubt that I am not the only mum, (dad, uncle, aunt etc. or grandmother) who has had to be patient for that long.

While on the way I took the time to take a few pictures and the one that I have chosen to send with my message is not that remarkable I suppose.  After all, there are all sorts of things stuck to external brick walls dotted around the streets of our country.  Over the years I have often seen vending machines, fire hydrants, parking machines, ticket machines, post boxes and the odd ATM machine mounted on brick, but this box got my thought processes working.   It reminded me of something I remember seeing on a television news programme a while ago now, about the plan to put defibrillators in public places in the UK so that, if needed they would be around to save a life.

So, my camera came into play, and I don’t think I got a bad picture.  Just seeing it conjured up thoughts of all those medical programmes that we see where the doctors would be putting those electronic pads on patients at the height of the drama; ‘Emergency Ward 10’ and ‘Doctor Kildare’ come to mind.

When I looked online, I found out that the machines started to become available as far back as 2002, although I have never actually seen one before.   

After all that, it occurred to me that even if I was standing next to one, I would really not know what to do if I came across someone who needed my help.   So I looked up how you use these things and thought that passing on what I found by way of a reminder might just come in handy one day.  So I have asked LPG to put some links in place so that readers can have a quick refresher course. 

I happened to be in Rainham in Kent when I saw this one, and I cannot remember seeing one in Lewisham, but you never know when or where a bit of a reminder about how to use one might come in handy.

By the way, my brother is well and it was really good to be able to say hello in person again after all this time…

MA, Deptford 

MA shares the promised refresher course…

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