TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

There's a fascinating letter in the Guardian Review Section today from Matt Snow
(who I think is editor of Q Magazine).  He talks about some research undertaken by
Professor Hugh Montgomery, Director of the University College London Institute
for Human Health and Performance, in 2009 which suggested that Sandy's fall down
the stairs was a symptom  of the disease that would eventually kill her, not the
cause itself:

"To summarise [Prof Montgomery's] findings, the delay of several weeks between
Denny's fall and her collapse into coma and death from what was found to be a
mid-brain trauma makes it extremely unlikely that the first caused the second.
Far more likely is that the fall was a warning sign of what was to kill her
weeks later.  Friends say that for months she'd suffered unsteadiness,
headaches, dizziness, blurred – perhaps double – vision and slurred speech, and
that one pupil had become larger than the other.  Wernicke's encephalopathy
would account for all these symptoms.  A disease caused by vitamin (thiamine)
deficiency, and easily treated by supplements, it is common in alcoholics and
can also cause mid-brain bleeds."

Perhaps this is known to other Sandy fans, but I found it quite illuminating.

Jules

That's all. That's all there was.
Say Amen. Close the door.
She gave as much as she had to give
Oh please don't ask for more
Please don't ask for more
That's all

Interesting Jules. Thanks for that.

Anyone know if this is online (I can't find it, but I do sometimes have problems locating things in the Grauniad Review section of their website)?

If not, could you possibly send me a scan of the complete letter, Jules?

Sorry, David, it wasn't my paper, so I no longer have access to it.   :(

Jules

It's not in the online Guardian but this is the text. (Mods, feel free to delete this post if you think it might violate copyright).

Review: LETTERS: What killed Sandy Denny?

The Guardian (London); Jan 22, 2011; Mat Snow London; p. 15
Full Text:

In his warm tribute to the English singer-songwriter Sandy Denny ("No fear of time", 8 January), Rob Young cites as the cause of her death in 1978 "a brain injury resulting from a fall". Reviewing the known facts about her death in an unpublished section of a feature for Q magazine which he wrote with my assistance in 2009, Professor Hugh Montgomery, director of the University College London Institute for Human Health and Performance, arrived at a different conclusion.

To summarise his findings, the delay of several weeks between Denny's fall and her collapse into coma and death from what was found to be a mid-brain trauma makes it extremely unlikely that the first caused the second. Far more likely is that the fall was a warning sign of what was to kill her weeks later. Friends say that for months she'd suffered unsteadiness, headaches, dizziness, blurred - perhaps double - vision and slurred speech, and that one pupil had become larger than the other. Wernicke's encephalopathy would account for all these symptoms. A disease caused by vitamin (thiamine) deficiency, and easily treated by supplements, it is common in alcoholics and can also cause mid-brain bleeds.

Mat Snow
London

Nice one, thanks... :)

I read that - it was a complete revelation to me that her death was so long after the fall, I don't recall having seen or heard that particular detail before.

DC

Isn't it odd how things have changed. I only found out about Sandy when a mate told me. It may have been ages after the fall. Now with the power of t'internet we know everything whilst it happens.

Sandy of course would never have imagined the fax machine or the mobile phone let alone me sitting here tapping on a wireless iPod and, as Jude would say, talking to strangers.

Please do not drag all this up again.  Sandy blessed us with the time that she had for us all.  Now She is gone and we should be thankful that she graced this planet.

Personally I'll make my own mind up on what I should or shouldn't feel or do.

I thought the theory was fascinating, and very worthy of discussion on a theory like this.  

more sense from the ancient one

With respect Dave, you don't *have* to read this thread!

I did take that line of thought into consideration before posting the article, but ultimately I thought it was of such interest to many TAWers that I would have been committing the greater faux-pas by not posting it.

Sorry to those like Dave who feel this thread is in any way unseemly.

Jules

Jules as I have said before thanks for posting it. It makes interesting reading and isn't "unseemly". You have clearly written the subject so those who don't want to know don't have to look into this folder.

I clicked open this thread again by mistake, but now that I have, my quoting the Richard Thompson song was my way of saying the same thing you do there, BD.

Don't know if I am the only one on here, but I had no knowledge at all of the circs of her death. I knew she died in 1978, didn't know if it was illness, accident or what. So to me all this is new, and quite interesting.

While I do understand some people's reluctance to talk about this, honestly, what performer would not be pleased to know they were still being discussed 33 years after their death? No matter what the topic.

I have been a professional musician most of my life and when I'm gone, I'll just be gone. I'd be delighted to have people speculating on anything they want about me...but it ain't gonna happen. Pity.

Well said Dave

Can I refer you to my previous response.

Jules