The saying used to be "I'm going out into the garden to eat worms" when things were getting on top and you were feeling miserable.

Your mother probably warned you against doing anything so stupid and the moment eventually passed following a judicious application of ice cream or some other suitable emollient in the form of sweeties, or whatever was likely to shut you up, especially if the display took place in a public place.

One of the things we were always warned against getting anywhere near our mouths was the bulb of the daffodil, said to be highly toxic.

I cannot recall too many fights over the display in the public parks when the pretty flowers died down.

But suddenly daffodil bulbs are the flavour of the week, literally as well as metaphorically.

They have been found to contain a chemical substance which is effective in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, slowing down the memory loss, personality changes and other distressing symptoms.

It is even possible the drug will slow down the onset by up to a year with the knock-on financial savings in the use of carers, though that is not the main consideration.

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence, (whose acronym NICE is rather unfortunate since it is concerned with new drugs and medicines which may actually taste horrible) is looking at the question of allowing the use of the drug, said to cost about £3 per patient per day.

There is considerable pressure by the Alzheimer's Society to ensure the powers-that-be avoid "postcode prescription" so that it is prescribed on the basis of need.

So the daffodil is not only a beautiful flower but could be a great saviour as well.

If older folk are not facing "postcode" discrimination, they may find their friends in Europe are discriminating against them in spite of supposed legislation which is meant to outlaw ageism.

A draft directive which is in front of the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee has sneakily allowed some small print to creep in which gives employers the right to turn candidates down on the grounds of age.

In EU-speak, it says: "The establishment of age limits is permissible where it is appropriate and necessary to pursue legitimate labour objectives."

In plain English, that means if I want to say that, because you are over 60, you are not able to do the job on the grounds of lack of strength or agility, I can turn you down.

You could be the world's greatest weightlifter or the Brain of Britain, but if you are over 60 I can say you do not measure up to my requirements.

Crazy isn't it? They bring in rules outlawing ageism on the one hand and encourage discrimination with the other.

Is it too much to hope our Parliament will refuse to implement such a law? Come on MEPs - earn your keep for once.