Keith Souter News Today

​​Have you ever been in a room when some practical joker has set off a stink bomb. When broken, these little vials allow the nasty bad egg odour of hydrogen sulphide to diffuse quickly through a room.

​​My wife and I are gearing up to do a long-distance walk in Scotland. To prepare for it we are fitting in lots of walks of varying lengths. We have also broken in new boots, so all in all the preparation is going pretty well. One other thing that we will be preparing for is the notorious highland midge.

I visited Edgehill in Warwickshire the other day. This was the site of the first major battle of the English Civil War. This period of history has always intrigued me. As a doctor I am also fascinated by the history of medicine. At Edgehill these two interests merged, since Doctor William Harvey the discoverer of the circulation of the blood was present at the battle.

I have put my lawnmower away for this month, since it is No Mow May. This is the annual campaign that encourages us to delay cutting lawns and grassy areas throughout the month of May. The idea is to increase the number of grass species and wild flowers in lawns so that it will attract pollinating insects like bees and butterflies.

​There is a lot in the news about bullying and hostile behaviour in many areas of society today. Bullying which is a hostile behaviour pattern is simply not acceptable anywhere.

One of the greatest fears that most people have is that they may lose their mental function and end their days slipping into dementia. Many of us will have had a relative with dementia and seen a gradual deterioration in their mental and physical health. Anything that reduces the risk of developing it is worth considering.

A few weeks ago some guides and brownies lowered a time capsule into the well at Sandal Castle.

We spent last week in Derbyshire. Apart from the glorious scenery I found myself looking at people’s necks.

I have talked a lot recently about the microbiome, the microflora that is part of every person.

The pandemic has taken a huge toll on people across the world.