West Country ‘historical’ tour …part 1

Jenny’s trip round Devon, Cornwall, Devon and Somerset … where I chauffeured, and happily joined in, as my mother’s cousin and I traversed parts of the West Country …

This is an incredibly professional map?!  Each splodge marks a town we stayed in!
We started west of Exeter, at Drewsteignton village, south to Torquay-Paignton,
on via Dartmouth to Salcombe, Liskeard and the artist lady, next to Bude, then
Ilfracombe, then Minehead and finally into the Somerset countryside, near
Taunton and Wellington.  (The "H" marks Hartland Point - incredible geology).

 … these are some of my favourite things was how I started last year’s posting, when I drove Jenny ‘around’ and up to Derbyshire before coming back via Malvern andOxford …

… this journey’s postings will be shorter but there will be lots of them – as I’ve plenty to tell you about … this time we started at the same point west of Windsor Castle and London … then drove to the Old Coach Road west of Exeter and further into Devon and Dartmoor.

The Old Inn 19th century

Jenny’s objective, who lives on Vancouver Island, was to see parts of the UK she hadn’t seen, to visit places where her father’s family had lived over the centuries … and to check on things re Emily Hobhouse – her father’s aunt – as Jenny has Emily’s papers and has written three books on Emily from different perspectives.

A typical footpath and bridleway sign

To meet and greet some relatives and a new friend, who is writing a novel sort of based around Emily, South Africa, Italy and Cornwall – the artist lady concerned lives outside Liskeard, where there are panels in the Museum dedicated to Emily.

Jenny had given me a list of places she wanted to visit … and so I booked the hotels – all 8 being one night stands … I’ve no idea how Jenny does it – I have some of the genes, I know … but I do wonder sometimes!!  

Cottages in Drewsteignton

Six nights in hotels, all very different, and two nights with the artist lady and her husband (wonderful) and the last night for us both with another near cousin of Jenny and my mother's vintage ... also a pleasure to meet and see the family.

I book-ended the trip with a night in Chichester and another in Wellington, where we were already, after I dropped Jenny off at the train for London: visiting English South African friends ... i.e. I met them out there ... and now I see them here.

Mobility rage - not that I think my
relatives would engage!  Just a fun photo

I will start at the beginning … I arrived on time this year! … to find my two elderly relatives had taken themselves off to look at mobility scooters … husband and daughter were surprised to find me laughing… such is life – the elderly have minds of their own!

It was a chance to catch up with them … and I’d never met their daughter before – we are cousins once removed.  Then we stayed and had a lunch of soup, salads,

cheese and fruit to sustain us.

Drewsteignton village and the pub,
which we didn't visit.

We didn’t have that far to travel – about 3 hours – just beyond Exeter … so set off to reach the village in daylight.  Jenny had wanted to visit this area as the family lived there in the 15^th century …

The Old Inn

I had booked into the Old Inn in the village, only to find it was really a restaurant with rooms … but too late, I later found out there was a pub we could have stayed in.

Frankly – I’m glad we stayed where we did … it was an experience: it really was an experience: next but next post gives these details ... be ready to drool!

View of Church from churchyard

So our journey starts out … we are particularly interested in areas where Jenny’s father’s family had originated from 500 to 750 years ago, to recent family homes … but also found ourselves considering Neolithic settlements of over 5,000 years old ... a Damien Hurst (born 1960) 20 m (66 feet) high sculpture ...

Come and join us for a drink ...
we very carefully skirted
well south of the Prison!

I will, I hope, take you along with me as we view parts of England I have never seen and learn some interesting historical, geological, archaeological and family stories along the way – while we sustain ourselves with local fare.

These may well take me happily towards the A-Z next year ... but I will break my journey for some other posts ... in the meantime - cheers!!

A link to Wikipedia's page on Emily Hobhouse ... there are parts of this that Jenny finds are inaccurate (as she has her papers, I believe she would know).  

But I need to write a dedicated blog post on Emily as I see her ... I have said I'd give a talk about her, early next year, at our Social History Group.

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

HH is for Happy Hilary ... that's what HH is for, before I ...

.. just a quick extra post - Deirdra from her Storybook World, who is doing the A - Z Challenge too, awarded me her Powerful Woman Writer Award - amazing .. and I'm honoured .. thank you Deirdra - very much appreciated.

As most of you will know - this blog evolved from the subjects my mother and I have discussed since she had her major strokes over 4 years ago - she is now 90!  Her brain has not suffered .. and she's still as sharp as she ever was - at times:  inevitably she is slowing now .. though sometimes I wonder!

I would bring in items of interest to chat about - stimulating our conversations .. and these would spin out numerous strands of discussion points ... leading to me being sent home to find out more .. while Mum would have something to think about before I could return.

History World - Advert from 1955

As I'm not doing my usual little updates at the end of each post during the A - Z Challenge .. here's the latest - Mum is fine ... we watched the Grand National, which she seemed to enjoy .. still questioning things!  Queried my cough .. said I should get Famel Syrup .. not sure if you had that as children for hacking coughs?

She said Summer must have arrived as I turned up in a light jacket and not a winter coat!

Carbis Bay Hotel - just above the beach
where we used to play as kids

She was amazed to hear about the blog award - and said 'Wonderful' ... it's sad - because I think this medium would suit her too .. she used to do amazing Booklet Newsletters for the Care Home she owned .. sadly only one or two are in existence.

That's my Mum ... still interested, still concerned for her daughter, and still interested in life - when she's not too tired.

Many thanks Deirdra .. and to everyone who reads my blog and has supported me here at the A - Z Challenge, and over the previous months - always surprises me.  I love what I do .. and with your encouragement .. gives me some pleasure as I travel the long path with my mother.

Taking tea at the Carbis Bay Hotel,
Cornwall

It's a wonderful world this blogging land .. full of Powerful Writers .. you all deserve awards .. the ongoing stimulation is amazing ...

Cheers to you all from a sunny Eastbourne ....

PS - if you want to see some stunning pictures of St Ives Bay ... where my mother's family came from, and where we have holidayed ever since ... please have a look at the slide show on the Carbis Bay Hotel website ... it will only take a short time & they are beautiful .. including in the distance Godrevy Lighthouse, which Virginia Woolf could see when she stayed at the hotel, and where we too would picnic, jumps the rocks, watch the blow holes, collect shells ... memories!

That is Happy Hilary – that’s what HH is for ..

Part of the ABC - April 2011 - A - Z Challenge - Aspects of the British Countryside - Xtra

Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Could this be a sitcom – or a break out sitcom? Ever had a one word - at a time - conversation ? Fish and Chips – how do you spell it?

We had one of our old days on Friday, even though my mother cannot hear, she felt like talking and having a conversation .... but how do you do this with someone who cannot read nor hear?

How will the interpretation work ... with waving of hands, pointing of fingers, a small whiteboard with one word on it and a duster to wipe it off .. and no ability to actually put a sentence together that is ‘translateable’ for my mother?

Hardwick .. my mother's favourite travelling companion and comforter

It was excellent and we were both laughing away – but it was completely incongruous and I was laughing at the absurdity of it ... while my mother was happily laughing along - wonderful to see and share these now too brief moments.

In the days when she could hear ... these were the types of conversation we used to have .. and perhaps you can now see why my posts are so eclectic, but also include short and sharp cross links – that will lead out .... where?? We find out as we go .....

Arnold Lakhovsky painted The Conversation

My mother’s words in italics .. for some ease of differentiation .. My resources for this ‘conversation’: one whiteboard, cloth to wipe off each word and two personae: me and ‘her’!

Waving arms, pointing fingers, shaking and nodding heads, and ‘herself’ wanting to converse, which she did .. but how to reply, how to explain, how to inform ... well that’s another matter.

My mother wanted to know why she couldn’t hear – reasonable .. but with the next question ... "I’m paying enough they should be able to fix it!" (Actually the National Health Service is paying .. but that’s an explanation too far) – not so easy to answer.

So what now? I’m tired (I know, before I start!) .. so I yawn – without putting my hand in front of my mouth – immediately my mother says “I don’t want to see your tonsils” .... then “do you know what tonsils do?” I thought I’d say ‘no’ .. shaking my head to indicate that!

“Well go over there to that table and look in that big book – Chambers- and it will tell you – they are your first line of defence" ... this is my mother! What I thought was interesting – was that she could not and did not recognise the word ‘Google’ ... now last year she would have done. Nor did the word ‘internet’ ring any bells for her. So she has regressed a little.

Then – "did you put the posters up? – they’re wonderful .. thank you darling .. and look at those above the curtains .. with the little dogs on! Thank you." I had put these up about three months ago – but I was not going that route!

So now we’re into "Why can’t I hear?" Remember I cannot converse, nor can I write a sentence ... so I put the words “cold, sore throat, bad chest” .. on three separate lines ... the word my mother picks up is cold – "I’m not cold". But obviously cannot relate that word to the question she asked – it would be fine if I could explain ... she’s always been grateful for my explanations .. but I can’t.

There’s more .... but enough is enough .. I’d bought soft toilet paper instead of tissues, as the staff are quite profligate with them, and I thought loo paper (as we call it here in the UK) would be fine for mopping up her mouth and nose etc. .. but my mother "I don’t want loo paper – that’s not for blowing my nose" ... you know there are no flies on her: even now.

You get the idea ... when we could chatter together it was quite enlightening and we’d have lots of laughs ... belly laughs .. as we did on Friday – and I’d be sent home to Google or Wiki for more information and bring it in for my next visit.

I hold Hardwick up for her to see .. and she immediately says "Hallo Boy ... you’ve been a good companion for me ... and you do have such an intelligent face and look": thank goodness for Hardwick is all I can say – he’s been inseparable from her .. we even had him in hospital – but I was terrified he’d be swept up into the laundry .. so I took him down for visits!

When we were London in the Acute Brain Injury Unit right at the beginning, three years ago now .. a Cameroonian lady had been brought in .. and had a radio with her tuned in to Gospel Music .. and I thought oh oh .. this is not going to please my Ma and asked them if they could keep the sound low .. misery me!

Well, I was truly put in my place on my next visit .. Jasmine said to me (yes Jannie a Jasmine here too!) – do you know what your mother said after you’d gone to get the train ... please turn the music back on!! My reaction to this ... was .. would the patients lift their sheets and bop around the ward in various states of hobble .. and have huge guffaws of laughter as they went ... I just thought what a wonderful scene could be built from this concept. What do you think?

Language and our understanding of it .. my mother thinking I was asking if she was cold .. because the fans were on (usually we have them on – my mother had said earlier she’d rather be cold than hot) .. but my one word on the whiteboard .. ‘cold’ was to imply she had a cold and it had affected her ears ... ears, nose and throat. Well that was a thought too far too.

Harry Bingham's Website – The Writer’s Workshop .. the Word Cloud where writers meet ..

I’ve started reading Harry Bingham’s “This Little Britain – How One Small Country built the Modern World” .. and he starts his little book off with “Shaw’s Potato” .. George Bernard Shaw, the playwright, and ‘would-be spelling reformer’ pointed out that by using only common English spellings, we could write the word fish as ghoti:

F gh as in rough
I o as in women
SH ti as in nation

However Bingham goes on to say .. that if we eat fish, we eat chips too and potato could be ...
ready for it? ghoughbteighpteau ...... as in:

P gh as in hiccough
O ough as in though
T bt as in debt
A eigh as in neighbour
T pt as in pterodactyl
O eau as in bureau

Now .. firstly do you pronounce the words as we do .. because if not obviously this would floor you ... or flaw you? ... but secondly wouldn’t you want to continue reading? Binhgam goes on to say ... “Other languages have their eccentric spellings, of course, but English is in a league of its own. French, German, Spanish, Italian and Russian all spell more or less as they sound .... do they? – I’d be lost I think: however English of course is supernumerary?!

So going back to my mother and ‘cold’ ... in this case it’s her understanding of the word ... rather than the written ... is it ewe or you? course or coarse? .. which do we mean: gosh am I glad I’m English! It makes for fascinating reading this little book and these occur on only pages 1 and 2?!

Potato: Antoine Parmentier holding New World plants, artist: Francois Dumont 1812

And I haven’t really finished with Jasmine ... we have Jannie’s Blue Bunny, who has a Jasmine squirrel, we had our Cameroonian Jasmine, we have the flowers Jasmine – yellow or white, we have the granddaughter, Jasmine, of a friend of my mother’s and for some extraordinary reason .. we have Jasmine, a squirrel, here ...

.... Jasmine, our squirrel, made an uninvited guest appearance the other weekend .. wandering into the Home and visiting every room, hopping onto their beds, saying ‘hello’ to every patient .. and then wondering where next .. with a little help outside please! She kept us amused and occupied for the afternoon ...

When these funnies happen .. and with the extraordinary escapades and stories that have occurred in these last three + years .. I keep thinking there must be sitcom here .. with all these fantastic interweaving story lines .. well I think so – but my imagination does wander somewhat.

Diana Trent and Tom Ballard, two elderly residents of the Bayview Retirement Home are determined not to grow old gracefully. The pair of geriatric delinquents spend their time finding new ways to make life difficult for Bayview manager Harvey Baines.

Waiting for God .. number 37 http://www.comedy.co.uk/guide/top/ Graham Crowden and Stephanie Cole play Tom and Diana

Time for tea ... Ghoti and ghoughbteighpteau .....anyone? Then we could sit and watch that tv sitcom ....

Thanks for being here Mr Postman .. and you’re right we did have another quick visit to the hospital on Saturday (when my mother remembered the loo paper – so her short term memory is there! .. amazing isn’t it?) .. and all is well now – we’re safe and back at the Care Centre.

Fish riders in a 1920s poster of the Republic of China

Four years ago .. a cancer sufferer, Maxine, wrote a song in conjunction with Billy Bragg, when he was conducting workshops at the Hospice, for her daughter Jessica .. called ..and "We laughed" .. and it always brings tears to my eyes, but is so appropriate for Mum and I .. - we've always laughed and it's so good to remember all those times: if you would like to hear more and see more .. please visit here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VyTuNcu1bY&feature=related This is the first performance ever after Maxine had died .. with a little bit of commentary by Billy on how the song came about...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVJBxlklpyM This is with Maxine and Jess talking about the future and how the song came about ....

Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters Inspirational Stories

Another day ... are we in Tokyo?

Dear Mr Postman .. thank you for coming today so I can give you another few stories and then I'll ask you to start delivering our letters again ...

Today - we're not so good .. I need to go back and see how Mum is later on. However a couple of quick stories to give you a little more background .. the kind of thing I encounter on a daily basis when I visit ...

The ward is noisy .. there are only 5 beds, but what with nurses, doctors, care workers, cleaners, tea trolleys, visitors and patients - it's somewhat busy .. in fact positively terrible .. no peace at all. Poor Mum .. she wasn't too happy .. and eventually said "are we in a brothel!!??" I just burst out laughing ... no, I don't think so!! "where are we .. are we in Tokyo?" No .. unfortunately not .. we're still in Eastbourne.

Another couple of stories are in previous posts: Palm Sundays, Strokes and Reminiscences and She's Gone Cuckoo

Today though I wanted to thank some of you who are being so kind to me and supporting me through my mother's journey, while also guiding me on the positive letters blog:

Giovanna Garcia, of her Imperfect Action blog, together with her husband Craig Garcia .. have been my role models and guiders through this process. I couldn't have got where I am today without their support, their wisdom and their humility within the online community - I embrace them.

Tess came over from The Bold Life (as a guest speaker for Lance on the Jungle of Life) - and she talked about treats - appropriate for my Ma and brought me a few memories. I love her quote at the beginning of her post "If a child smiles, if an adult smiles, that is very important" -how true in my present journey. I think there's a conspiracy here .. they both completed their tax returns and disappeared off the planet for a while ...??!! I just hope they've had or are still enjoying a well deserved break - it'll be good to have them back.

Daphne from Joyful Days has been amazing .. and actually wrote me an open letter on her Joyful Days blog .. for which I feel truly honoured - entitled "A Positive Letter for Hilary" - I used her lovely picture for yesterday's post.

I am overwhelmed .. and so blessed by you all .. I haven't forgotten Positively Present, Liara, and all my blogging buddies who've been so supportive since we started with Gio .. - I will be back with some more endorsements. Forgive me - I need to get to the hospital ..

Thank you Mr Postman .. it's really nice to have someone who listens and who understands our life at the moment ..

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters

Giving my mother something to live for, while she moves on ...

Pearly Gates: Please enter your PIN ... this picture and caption will amuse Mum ...

Dear Mr Postman .. this is a letter for you .. so that you can get an idea of the sort of amazing days I have with my mother ..

Yesterday was an incredible day with my mother .. only an hour and a half – but so uplifting and thought provoking. My mother is quite extraordinary .. and has been throughout this whole process. She originally had her strokes 26 months ago .. was stabilised in the Acute Brain Injury Unit and we eventually got her down her to Eastbourne 19 months ago.

The doctors realised that her stroke had not affected her cognisance or her ability to communicate and so were happy to let her have a PEG feeding tube fitted – initially she had a small intake of food and tea ... but since she’s been in Eastbourne .. she’s been nil by mouth.

She’s been in hospital now for over 3 weeks – she’s well! – but unfortunately her feeding tube had come out and the Nursing Centre were not able to put it back within the 2 hour window of opportunity there is for these things. For 11 days she was only on a drip .. then they tried to reinsert the PEG feed using a camera .. that failed & it was Easter.

At this point the doctors decided that she had to have a nose feeding tube .. so she could get nourishment and her drugs. This week, 2 weeks later, they tried again to fit the PEG with an Xray – sadly her stroked leg got in the way & that failed.

Wednesday night Mum obviously got irritated with the nose tube and it came out – so now needs to be reinserted. The Staff Nurse and Sister were with us during part of the following conversation ... – which she was wide awake and bright for: she’d been fairly subdued for most of the 3 weeks .. which is not like her. So this is my report back to my mother ..

Darling Mum .. you never cease to amaze me .. yesterday we needed to get your agreement to having the nose feed reinserted, which you didn’t want! Fortunately the Sister had had one and understood that it’s irritating – I haven’t, I agree – but we want you to have it put back.

The choices are pretty limited .. we need to ensure that you keep your strength up with the feed, and the nurses need to be able to give you your drugs, so that next week they will give you an anaesthetic and operate to reinsert the PEG.

If we can’t give you your feed – then you’ll die. Well I’m going to die anyway sometime soon aren’t I? Yes – but are you ready to die now? No! Will you have the nose feed reinserted – Yes ... with an anaesthetic! Well I’m afraid we can’t do that.. the PEG operation will be with an anaesthetic.

This went on .. but interspersed in all this ..which was repeated a few times .. we were laughing or smiling .. as soon as Mum said ‘yes – but with an anaesthetic’ we started laughing .. and she was belly laughing .. it’s so good.

Did you say you saw that Granny is here? Yes – she’s still alive isn’t she? Well – no Mum .. she died about 37 years ago .. perhaps she’s here with you waiting to go with you through the pearly gates? Why don’t they give her a key then? .......

You tell me – how you couldn’t laugh .. and we laughed and smiled round the problem .. she eventually consented to the nose tube .. which I hope has happened over night.

During this I read a couple of cards we’d received from friends .. including one from an employee of my mother’s .. regarding, her own mother’s, Lorraine’s 90th birthday party .. Margaret said she used to cringe when Lorraine and my mother argued over whose kitchen it was ... Mum owned a Care Home in Cornwall – we reminisced a bit about the old days.

Then I mentioned the two recent posts .. on Asparagus and Rhubarb ..”what a mix!!” and we talked about growing asparagus .. and making rhubarb fool with our new Kenwood mixer! Then I told Mum about St George’s Cross .. and how St George and the Dragon came about .. she was most interested.

Darling Mum – I am honoured to have been able to share so much with you over the last two years .. and to have been able to laugh with you, smile with you .. and watch your belly ratchet up and down laughing uproariously .. bringing others into our room to see what’s going on!

You’ve been an inspiration to me .. in that you’ve never complained, never worried, never whinged or moaned .. we’ve laughed our way through your adversity, our trials and tribulations ..we seem to have settled into a wonderful existence and have two minds that have met enjoying each other's company, while also appreciating the snippets of information or things that amuse us

I don’t know where your brain is .. but it never ceases to amaze me at what you can remember .. you may be muddled occasionally .. but it doesn’t matter you’re just so pragmatic about everything and ready to join in the fray – you are most definitely extra special .. and I love you.

I love you photo from Daphne and her "A Positive Letter to Hilary" post written for me at Joyful Days blog .... I am just grateful for everyone's support ... THANKYOU!!

Mr Postman thank you for laughing with me over this incredible tale .. it is so wonderful to have such a positive mother .. I am so lucky .. someone so spunky and not giving up on things ..

Hilary Melton-Butcher
Positive Letters

Palm Sunday, Strokes, Reminiscences

Dear Mr Postman .. again you come on a Sunday - thank you so much .. my mother will enjoy these snippets - especially as it is Palm Sunday ..

Palms survive in all sorts of warmer climates .. and surprisingly are to be found as far north as Cornwall, eg in Morrab Gardens, in Penzance - which has a sub-tropical climate regulated by the Gulf Stream (now at the forefront of the global warming debate) - and is where my mother comes from.

Today is a special day for my mother .. as it is now her 3rd Palm Sunday in a hospital; three years ago she was in the Acute Brain Injury Unit in London, where the nurses very kindly made sure she could get down stairs to the Chapel within Queen Charlotte's Hospital (the original name of the old building) to attend the service. In fact the Chaplains were wonderful - as my mother was so late .. as she needed a lot of attention to be put into her wheelchair .. that they actually started the service again - making it shorter.

They also gave her a Palm Cross .. which I kept and mounted on black paper -so that when she came down to Eastbourne, I was able to put it in her eyeline on the wall at the end of her bed.

At present she is in the local hospital and I sincerely hope they sort her treatment out a.s.a.p. so we can get back to the Nursing Centre, where I can visit whenever I want, rather than at the hospital from 2.00 pm onwards. I just like to keep an eye on her and know what she wants and needs - and know she feels reassured when I'm around - in the morning as well as the afternoon.

It's been an interesting experience down at the hospital .. there's always something to learn .. even if the outcome is so unsettled. The other patients seem to have taken to her ... and have realised from the conversations she has - often with herself!!!! - that she's going through her life .. somethings (across her 88 years of time frame) being weaved together - but that it is still pretty intelligible.

It's been quite interesting explaining to people that strokes can affect patients in so many different ways .. but I think my mother must be almost unique .. she can span all of her life - yes, she now forgets somethings, but if I prompt her - she'll remember. I posted two other snippets back in January on "She's gone Cuckoo" and "Emanuensis", which emphasises how well her brain is working .. yesterday when I was with her .. she suddenly came up with two words 'delinquent' and 'decadence' .. so I asked why! "I was thinking of words beginning with 'D' ".. so I said 'delicate' ... no - "too easy" says my Ma!!?? Well - you please tell me what's wrong here? .. her left side may be stroked .. but not her brain.

These positive letters, Hilary's snippets or tales are stories she would like to hear and she said to me "you're having fun doing these?" - yes I am!! It's a difficult time .. but my mother has been an exemplar as a patient .. and quite extraordinary in her mental capacity to overcome the tribulations she has faced - with acceptance, working out for herself the best way to deal with things and hardly ever worrying me - and positive letters are a release for me ... and generate lots of response from family and friends, and now from you too kind readers.

We wish you a blessed Easter week 2009.

Thank you Mr Postman for reminding me of our times together .. and I know you'll have more interesting tales for us tomorrow ..

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters

Connection .. global friends ... Care of Uncle!

New friends .. amazing how quickly one can connect with people around the world with similar interests who are already supporting me - I just love this internet & the ability to share my experiences with people who care, but also who've been through similar challenges & can understand. I'm looking forward to hearing positive stories from everyone .. & sharing ideas -

My uncle, 87, was out when I visited - but I let myself in & sorted out his fridge & stores - so that it was 'fresh' & left the shopping I'd bought. He's always so appreciative and he gets 'interesting' foods .. that he probably wouldn't buy himself, as he's pretty slow at getting around & has macular degeneration .. so it's good to visit as I can keep an eye on the house, and him!

They returned just in time for coffee & so the five of us had coffee & a chat - he loves company, but more importantly I'm back & his security blanket is there in case of need. I dropped in to see my Ma on my way home & she was cheerful and pleased I'd seen Derek.

"Jamming Session" .. in the Acute Brain Injury Unit ..

Dear Mr Postman .. thank you for listening to this to a bit more of this tale ...

My mother was in the Acute Brain Injury Ward for 4 months .. and at one stage two Cameroonian ladies, totally coincidentally, were admitted to our six bed ward .. and at that stage my mother was pretty fragile, as she was not yet stabilised. A radio came out .. & I thought oh no!!! – it’s been so wonderful .. so quiet & peaceful; Jasmine had some African music playing and I just asked her to keep it quiet .. as my mother had never liked modern music of any description ... I thought!!

Well, well – when the daughter disappeared.. my mother apparently had said to the other patients .. well let’s have some of that music .. so they’d had a “jamming session” together & obviously it cheered them all up!! It amazed me. When I heard the tale – all these bed ridden patients waving their bed sheets with whichever body part would move in time to the music & those that could whistle or sing spouting forth – my imagination took hold! I expect you’ve got positive stories to tell too?

Thank you Mr Postman .. I'm glad you liked the jamming session .. it's good to visualise isn't it?

Hilary Melton-Butcher

Positive Letters