A NEW book has been published that shares the story of how a Southampton connection is helping to power future research into M.E. The story of the meeting of minds that linked a university junior manager 30 years ago to a university don who went on to become one of Britain’s most eminent science researchers is told in a book recently published by the Hampshire-based ME/CFS Alliance Think Tank. To mark ME Awareness Month in May, former Southampton University training manager, Opal Webster-Philp – whose career was wiped out by M.E. in 1991 – and co-author Nicola McDonald tell how Opal’s meeting with a scientist called Stephen Holgate led eventually to the setting up of a collaborative in 2012.
Total Roofing is based in St Albans
- Credit: Chris Blow
You may remember that back in January, when many people around the district were faced with the threat of flooding, we shared the story of Samuel Leach, who, with the help of passers by and local traders, saved a Park Street resident s home from the creeping water.
And even though the flood water has subsided, the community spirit in Park Street lives on, with more local traders coming to the lady s aid, all free of charge.
That s where Chris Blow, who runs Total Roofing in St Albans, comes in.
People were saying they d be there in five minutes. How can you be here in five minutes? And they were just turning up in trainers and jeans, and saying they didn t have time to turn back and get their wellies. They were getting fully into knee-deep water in jeans and trainers to help out. This is amazing.
One of those jeans and trainers-clad volunteers was Gavin McKay from Tring, whose work for Chevron Traffic Management meant he had access to enough sandbags to save Eileen s home.
Samuel Leach, alongside volunteers like Gavin and the fire service, helped protect Eileen s Park Street Home from flood water