2017: a good year for bikes and Parkinson’s

We’ve been working hard to let everyone know that this year marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of An Essay on the Shaking Palsy by James Parkinson. He was a remarkable man: an east London surgeon, apothecary, social activist and fossil hunter.

For people with Parkinson’s, that’s not the only 2017 anniversary! It’s also 20 years since the role of the protein alpha-synuclein in some genetic forms of Parkinson’s was first elucidated.

Finally, we can neatly tie the Parkinson’s and cycling themes together because 1817 also saw the unveiling of Baron Karl von Drais’s new invention the Draisine, the first ever vehicle with two wheels in line. Here’s the Baron himself, apparently taking a pleasant tour around the Mannheim countryside:

Karl von Drais on his machine

For our trip to Durham we hope to be using something a little more up-to-date…