Page 27 - br-may-2020

May 2020 May 2020

“… TIME TO STAND AND STARE” ? BERE REGIS
SURGERY NEWS

We have all noticed, (due to the enforced ‘lock down’, the disappearance of
traffic noise, aircraft contrails and combined with the delightfully recent clear Patients are encouraged to regularly
weather), that the world we look at from our homes has become very quiet and check the Surgery website and the
rather beautiful, especially at night. village Facebook group for updates.
A couple of updates have been posted
The majority of homes in our Parish have a handsome view to the South, especially
from bedroom and landing windows. on Facebook during the month. These
are as follows:
Many of us of a certain age group find ourselves wandering to the bathroom in
the “wee small hours” (no pun intended) and if lucky enough to be passing the
landing window, cannot miss the awe-inspiring sight of a beautiful moon and COVID 19
other bright objects in the sky. The more perceptive of us will also notice (on the Advice from the surgery
second visit a couple of hours later?) that those celestial objects have shifted
westward by a substantial amount. Why? Please take great care with everything you take into your home and remember
to wash your hands thoroughly after handling food deliveries, milk bottles,
As a mariner, I’m used to using such Amazon boxes or books or toys from another home.
objects to determine my position at sea,
by using a sextant to measure the angle If you leave things out for collection, please ensure they have been cleaned
of celestial bodies above the horizon. It is down with antiseptic/mild bleach solution before doing so to reduce the
a technique that involves a reasonable potential risk for transmission.
amount of mathematics. On land
however, as interested observers of the
night sky, we have no need of such COVID19
accuracy in determining the position of Advice from the surgery
these celestial objects that we would like
to identify. A ‘ball park’ indication for COVID 19 is unlikely to cause a serious illness in children, but please remember
identification of such is all that we seek in children can still become seriously unwell from other causes that are always
order to satisfy our curiosity of around. Please do not let concerns over COVID19 stop you from contacting
discovering what the name of the bright medical services. If you are not sure if your child needs to be seen please go
star/planet might be. to https://www.what0-18.nhs.uk/national for advice or contact 111 or your GP.
For information about crying babies go to https://www.what0-18.nhs.uk/
A few reminders of your school geography lessons: national If your child is severely unwell call 999 or go to Accident and Emergency
 Planets reflect the sunlight so they are a steady light source.
 Stars (e.g. our Sun) create their own light so they ‘twinkle’, as per the nursery Prescription Delivery
song that we were exposed to as toddlers.
We would also remind patients that the BereConnect team are offering a
 The Earth revolves once (360 degrees) around its axis in 24 hours, so all the prescription delivery service for those who are isolating or able to get to the
stars and planets (including our own star, the Sun) will move (relative to us) surgery. The full details are on the advert in the Parish Council section of this
to the West by 15 degrees in 1 hour. magazine. We have a willing team of volunteers who are happy to help. Just
make sure that you contact Brenda House in good time with the details of your

request.
So how do we measure 15 degrees?

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