Sailing by

If you go past my house and hear me shouting ‘Cromarty!’ Rockall!’ ‘Dogger!’ rest assured that I am not harassing a bunch of lively Labradors. I’m training my brain with the Shipping Forecast.

I’ve never been convinced by the school of thought that only women can multitask. Some men are very good at it. As my dopamine-producing cells started to die off, I found it very difficult – and even dangerous – to do more than one thing at a time. I won’t talk on the phone while going up or downstairs. Social distancing on my forest walks may mean stepping to one side and negotiating tangly tree roots. I can’t do this, make eye contact and say a cheery ‘hello’ at the same time. Sorry!

But it’s use it or lose it – I need to exercise my brain as much as my body, and at the same time. I learned this early in my Parkinson’s life when I did the excellent PD Warrior 10-week Challenge. Developed in Australia by neurological physiotherapist Melissa McConaghy, this is a programme of big, powerful moves to encourage neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to make new connections. The exercises are also great for balance and restoring symmetry. I recommend the course to anyone newly diagnosed.

Dual tasking

I had just got my head round the big, powerful moves, and managed not to fall over, when Melissa threw in a curveball. While doing the exercises I was to throw in a cognitive task. This might include shouting out colours, car brands or countries of Europe. Or dog breeds. Dandie Dinmont, anyone?! Petit Basset Griffon Vendéen?! Oh, I’m just showing off now. Shouting these lists out is great speech therapy.

Melissa encouraged us to think of our own lists. It’s fun! Believe me, there’s a great deal of frustration you can let go if you shout out stations on the London Underground’s Piccadilly Line. Especially #1 and #10 from the top.

Occasional light icing

My favourite dual tasking list is the Shipping Forecast zones, a list of 31 sea areas that surround the British Isles from Iceland across  to Norway in the North, and down to Spain and Portugal in the south. As a child I lived nearly 50 miles from the sea, but we’d still listen to the Shipping Forecast daily on the radio. It’s rather soothing, even if there is an almighty hooley blowing round Fastnet. I never really understood the shorthand, for example:

 ‘Viking: Variable 2 until later in east otherwise south-easterly 3-5 increasing 6 later in west fair good.’

In winter, my ears prick up at the mention of ‘Occasional light icing’ – until I realise there is no cake.

I don’t need to understand the shorthand, which is excellently covered in Nic Compton’s book The Shipping Forecast. If it saves lives at sea, that’s good enough for me.

Play > Sailing By > Composer Ronald Binge > BBC Symphony Orchestra > Conductor David Parry

The Shipping Forecast is broadcast four times a day on BBC Radio 4. Sailing By heralds the midnight edition and helps sailors to tune into its frequency.  The conductor of this version is David Parry. If you haven’t heard of him, you may recall a very wet day on the Thames for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012. David conducted on one boat while the Royal Family shivered and jiggled on another. He’s also my brother-in-law, and today is his birthday.

Photo by Ekrulila from Pexels