All right, here we go, let’s get it over with.

The other day I fell off my chair for the second time.

Don’t mind me, have a laugh. Just forget the thought that it could have been fatal.

Just imagine the registrar of births, marriages and deaths dipping his pen in the inkwell to record the sad demise of Pullyman on the official document and having to keep a straight face in front of the grieving widow.

It would have been a different tale if my parachute had failed to open on a sky dive or if I had been swept into a crevasse by an avalanche in the Swiss Alps.

But the thought of falling off my chair from a sitting position when I was at my desk, working on next week’s column, does not attract a huge outpouring of sympathy.

The offending chair is one of those office chairs on wheels.

What happens is that if you half stand up to reach for something, you can push the thing back slightly.

Then when you lower your backside to sit down again, it’s not quite in line with the seat.

So instead of making a solid buttock contact, you and the chair shoot backwards and part company, leaving you to land heavily on the floor.

I now have a chair that has feet, not wheels, so fingers crossed I won’t find myself unceremoniously dumped on the floor again.

The lesson learned, is of course that you never know when an accident is going to happen, so think ahead, check for hazards and take all possible precautions.

Remember, a solution is the answer to a problem that you’ve yet to find.

When you think about it, there is a tripwire hiding around every corner.

And the older you get is the more likely you are to find it.

Unfortunately, this is especially true if you are cursed with a problem such as Parkinson’s disease.

In our bungalow, we have tried to anticipate all possible dangers.

For example, I always have a care-phone alert gadget around my neck.

I know that if I have a fall, or some other sort of accident, help is only a push of a button away.

Our bathroom has grab handles in easy reach of all likely needs.

We never attempt to reach for something that is just that too high or too heavy.

We try not to leave anything lying around that could trip you up.

Try to think ahead and do not hurry without taking that second look.

Stand in the garden and look around. What can you see that could be your downfall.

We have had some dodgy wooden decking replaced, and the next job will be to paint it with a non-slip surface.

A year or so ago, one of our neighbours, someone who is younger, fitter and much more agile than we ever were, slipped on decking and suffered an extremely nasty ankle injury.

Remember. Stop, stand and look.

And finally, Parkinson’s disease can affect different people in different ways.

For example, it can upset your balance mechanism and confuse your eye co-ordination. In our garden, we have some concrete steps and paths.

You would be surprised at the difference that bright yellow paint on the edges and a son with a steady hand has made to make them stand out.

Stop and look. It could save your life.

Now here’s a question,.

What is the worse part of falling over?

I’ll tell you.

Trying to get up again.

The other day, I was kneeling on the floor, trying to find a particular book that I thought was on the bottom shelf of the bookcase.

I stretched out as far as I could reach and gently overbalanced into a sitting position.

At least now I know how a sheep feels.

(Ask a farmer, he’ll know what I mean).