Gosh, what extraordinary times we are living through! I have not published an article in this series for so long, but let me explain. I have had major open-heart surgery - a triple bypass. 

One day I was out walking along the beautiful canal that runs through our village in Buckinghamshire. I was heading for an inn at the Three Locks, where I would regularly have lunch before strolling back home. It is a lovely walk with the gentle pop-popping of the canal boats meandering up and down the waterway, and ducks, swans, and other waterfowl. 

Somewhere along the canal, I felt discomfort, much like indigestion. It would pass as I rested. Each day, I had the same feeling in my chest, at about the same distance from home, so I mentioned this to my doctor. 

Within days, I was bei...

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