Five Beaches - Review

Yesterday afternoon I was fortunate to get along to St. Faith's Church Hall at Lee-on-the-Solent to watch this amazing production of Five Beaches, a stark play about the D-Day landings written to commorate the 70th anniversary of D-Day.

After spending time in London last week, looking at the poppies at The Tower, and thinking a lot about the hundreds of thousands of men killed in the first world war, this play really brought home to me something of what it may have been like for the young men who fought and died, or survived the second world war - specifically the D-Day landings.  Just a generation ago for me, as my father was a soldier in the second world war so only a lifetime away.

It says on the programme that Five Beaches is 'powerful, raw and challenging'.  It certainly is that!  Without use of scenery or props, light or sound to support the play, the ten young men portrayed the wait for the command on this side of the channel, the journey across the sea to France and the landings on the five beaches on the morning of D-Day in 1944, showing the fear, the bravado, the horror as they witnessed their friends drowing or being slaughtered as they went ashore.  All this was achieved with the use of their own voices and the use of movement in a stylised way.  Physical theatre at its best.  The cast tugged at the heart strings of the audience with the use of hymns, belting out with gusto For Those in Peril on the Sea, Land of Hope and Glory and Jeruselum.

It would be unfair to pick out any of the cast as shining above the others.  This was truly an ensemble piece and  all of the following should be proud of their achievement:

The cast:
Cam Holding, Tom Irving, Fergus Ross, Jake Wright, Jake Young, Leighton Huntingdon, Aiden Hammond, Adam Connor Shaman Falvey Enfield, Isaac Ross.

Directed by Helen Jones.
Five Beaches is written by Bay House Writer in Residence, Zella Compton.


It was announced at the end of the play that this was to be the last performance of the piece.  I certainly hope that these young men get a chance to perform it again.  It's a play that needs to be seen.

Christmas Shopping at The Book Shop, Lee-on-the-Solent

          After spending time at the computer working on new writings, I decided to treat myself and do some Christmas shopping.  I thought about going into town and having a look in the chain-store book shops, knowing that I would probably be buying books for some of my family.  But something was drawing me to Lee-on-the-Solent.  A lovely little bookshop, small on the outside, becomes tardis-like when you enter through the door.  This is a place you could spend hours in browsing, and be tempted to spend more than you intended as the store is stocked full to the brim with wonderful goodies: not only books, but a range of cards for all ocassions, gift paper, stationery items, diaries, calenders, dvds, crayons, balloons, to name but a few.

         
          This is the wonderful Rick Barter, the shopkeeper - a font of knowledge who will help you with your book choices.  Rick and his staff are very welcoming to all customers, especially those with doggy friends in tow!  But you don't need to be a dog lover to love this shop.  I always enjoy myself in this Aladdin's cave and would recommend a visit before you spend all your Christmas shopping money.

A large choice of books, paperback and hardbacks.

Stationery supplies

Childrens' crayons, paints and sticky stuff

Books for children

Gift wrap and more!

Christmas cards and gift bags

An amazing range of greetings cards

More Christmas stock on display

Calendars

DVDs

When I'd finished browsing and shopping I dropped in next door to The Tea Party for a coffee and slice of lemon sponge cake.

A fitting end to a well-spent hour.

So, if you fancy doing a bit of Christmas shopping in a lovely atmosphere I'd recommend the extra bit of travelling down to Lee-on-the-Solent.

The Book Shop can be found on Facebook or you can telephone on 02392 556592.

The Tea Party's phone number is 02393 070760

Billy's Journal

After attending Will and Diana's workshop on crime-writing last week, I've been working on a character for my next novel.    Doing the workshop has given me a good springboard to get on with this project which has been hanging around in my head for over two years.  This is the first rough draft of Billy's journal:

Billy’s Journal

My name is Billy Jackson.  I’m 24 years old and a mess.

My childhood was OK. I suppose, except for having to watch my Dad and all his mates when they came round to our flat to shoot-up.  It didn’t really bother me mind you, I just had to be careful not to step on the needles they sometimes left on the floor.  My mum loved me in her own way but she was a bit of a mess - Dad called her a slag but he didn’t seem to care when she took his so-called mates into the bedroom while he sat on the sofa in the front room getting out of his head.  Sometimes there’d be a knock at the door and Dad would let in men I’d never seen before.  Then Mum would disappear with them into the bedroom.  I didn’t understand what was going on at the time.  Dad said they had a bit of business with Mum.  I used to sit and watch the telly and try not to listen to the noises coming from behind the door.

When I was twelve my Dad let me try some of his gear.  He said it would make me feel good and it did.  I remember floating and feeling really loved, so much so that I didn’t really care when one of his friends took me into my bedroom and started touching me.  I don’t remember if I liked what he did or not, but I liked the floaty feeling and was up for it the next time that man came round.

I didn’t do so well at school, used to scive off all the time and consequently failed my GCSEs.  Well, didn’t actually even sit them to tell the truth.

What makes me tick?  I don’t really think anything does - I spend all my time ducking and diving for the next fix of heroin.  Been addicted since I was a kid and it’s taken over my life - it is my life.  Even though I moved out of my Mum and Dad’s when I was sixteen and moved in with my Nan it was too late for me to get out of the drug life-style.  

I lived with my Nan for a few years and they were the best years of my life so far.  Nan would listen to me without shouting back when I ranted about stuff that was getting to me.  She used to sit me down and let me talk while she cooked my tea.  I can’t remember my Mum or Dad ever cooking my tea.  For a while I stayed in with her in the evenings and she would tell me stories about when she was young.  Stories about Grandad and how he used to spend time on his allotment with Dad when he was little.  She said my Dad was alright then but he got into trouble with some lads when he was in his teens and that was when he started on the drugs.  

Nan made me feel good about myself and I stopped using for a few months.  It wasn’t easy though and gradually I slipped back into it, bit by bit. I thought I could handle it but life got so boring and although I tried to keep busy and even went looking for work, it was too hard.  I started back on the dealing, just a bit now and then to pay for my own use at first.  Then it began to take me over and I was out all the time, day and night.  Nan tried to talk to me, she tried so hard but in the end even she couldn’t stand it so she and told me I had to leave.  I was gutted but didn’t let her know.  

For a while I lived with this girl I’d met at the drug clinic - Gem was her name.  I really loved her but I messed her about too much and she chucked me out too.  She got fed up with me bringing people back to her place to use I guess.  I wasn’t very good to her to be honest.  I  never trust women after what my Mum was like and my Nan throwing me out didn’t help.  I admit I did hit Gem sometimes but she used to drive me to it.  I’d be different if she’d only take me back.

What do I look like?  I’m not very tall, about 5’ 10” I suppose, skinny because I never eat very well.  I suffer quite a bit from bad skin and get quite spotty at times.  I’ve shaved my head but sometimes it grows out to look quite spiky if I can’t be bothered to shave it.  Same with the facial hair.  I only shave every few days or so.  When I lived with my Nan I looked much smarter - she used to wash and iron my clothes but I don’t bother much these days and haven’t bought a new pair of jeans or top for ages.  My favourite thing is my leather jacket.  It’s black and a bit battered now but wearing it makes me feel good.  My  Nan got it for me from a charity shop - it didn’t cost a fortune - but it reminds me of better times.

More thoughts on working at Uplands Independent Mental Hospital

Working with people with enduring and severe mental illness is challenging and can be difficult, but can also be extremely rewarding.  The staff at Uplands work hard and are committed to making the lives of the residents as fulfilling and happy as possible.  Not an easy task.

Last week I attended a Positive Risk Assessment training day which was facilitated by Peter Kaye, an experienced RMN and a talented trainer.  Below are his thoughts on the difficulties and challenges faced by those of us who work with people in this client group and the care provided at Uplands Independent Mental Hospital.

"I've been providing the occasional training course for Uplands Independent Hospital for about two years, on mental health issues, risk management and staff management skills. I work throughout the country with care homes, hospitals, housing services, charities, social services departments etc and sometimes I go into care services which look very "posh" but when I scrape below the surface I find that the care is not as good as one might imagine it would be, and that, once you get beyond the chandeliers, care is negligent or, and this I often find in these "posh" services, the area set aside for the staff (rest rooms, training rooms etc) is downright grim. If staff are treated badly by their managers, you can guarantee that this will be reflected in the care given. 

"Uplands provides care for some of the most mentally ill people in our society, and, whilst we must always strive to help people to mesh effectively with the expectations of the wider society, it is unrealistic to expect that such unwell people will always be able to maintain the standards that our society may expect regarding personal conduct, dress or cleanliness of oneself or one's personal space. 

"From the perspective of service users such as those at Uplands, many of whom are likely to have experienced terrible traumas in their lives and who may well be tormented by horrific delusions or hallucinations, keeping oneself smartly attired or keeping one's room immaculately tidy may be low in the list of priorities. What may be far more important is to feel safe and respected in what we might think of as a refuge from a wider world which can seem overwhelmingly frightening. One of the great skills needed in working with such traumatised people is to build up their trust by being sensitive, gentle and supportive. If staff were very directive about tidiness or grooming of the service users they would alienate them. Indeed, such over-prescriptive care would be abuse in itself. The dilemma in mental health work is always how much do we allow people to be self-managing - even if that means the client may not conform to wider social norms - and how much do we intervene and "manage" (or over-manage) the client. 

"I believe that the management and staff at Uplands understand this dilemma and generally get the balance right. Why do I believe this? It's obvious: when I visit, I watch the clients: they have easy-going relationships with the staff, they do not look afraid, they come to the staff with their difficulties. These are signs of well-being despite the ravages of chronic mental illness. Yes, Uplands may not have the smartest of decor, but that's not important. It's the spirit of the place which counts, and on that crucial matter, I believe Uplands is very healthy. 

"When visiting any care service, I watch the way that staff interact with each other and with the residents. I have learnt over my 35 years in this business that anxious, withdrawn staff are a marker of an abusive care environment. But at Uplands, there is an easy-going, relaxed atmosphere. Staff do not look frightened, controlled or inhibited. One specific example: sometimes clients come into the training session to see what is happening. In many care services when such things happen, clients are ushered out by the staff in a fairly brusque way. At Uplands when this happens, staff talk to the residents politely and genuinely take time to explain to them that the room is in use for staff training. A little thing maybe, but it says a lot. Uplands provides a high standard of care to very unwell people and I am always pleased to work with the hospital in developing the staff's skills even more.

Best wishes

Peter Kaye
BSc(Soc) RMN RGN DPS-CPN AIfL

The Kaye Partnership
www.kaye.org.uk

Portsmouth Fairy Tales for Grown-Ups

After months of hard work by Life is Amazing (the incredible Matt Wingett) and the awesome Tessa Ditner, we are pleased to announce the launch of Portsmouth Fairy Tales for Grown-Ups in paperback version.

About a year ago I received a tweet from a certain Tessa Ditner, a woman I had never heard of, asking me if I wanted to be involved in a writing project in Portsmouth.  I was instantly suspicious.  Why would anyone want me to be involved?  Who was this woman?  I knew a lot of the writers around Portsmouth and had never come across this one before?  I ignored the tweet.

Several tweets later, I replied, asking who else was involved and that's when I realised that she already had on board several very talented writers, people I'd worked with before and had the utmost respect for.  So I was in.

A year on, I can honestly say that this has been a great experience in many ways.  I have been given the much needed kick up the arse to get on and write again.  Three of my short stories are now published in the ebook version of Portsmouth Fairy Tales for Grown-Ups, I have been involved in The Portsmouth Festivities, presenting one of my stories to an enthusiastic audience.  I then performed in a promenade event at the locations of the stories in this collection.  This evening I will be reading a story at the official launch of both the Portsmouth BookFest and the launch of this brand new paperback version of Portsmouth Fairy Tales for Grown-Ups in the Lord Mayor's Room at Portsmouth Guildhall.

The stories in this collection are all set in locations in Portsmouth.  Some are dark moral tales, some are complete fantasy, some are historical, some futuristic, our own collection of tales of mystery which spring from the imagination of eleven writers who have a fascination of this intriguing City.

I am now looking forward to, hopefully, more similar projects in the future.  Who knows....

Special thanks to Tessa, Matt, Jon Everitt (Cover art and design) and Nick Ingamells (Photography).

Thanks and Portsmouth BookFest events

Well that last post stirred up a lot of people.  Thanks for all the comments on facebook, mostly supportive but not all.  I just wanted to put an honest account of life at Uplands out there.  It's easy to take photos of a moment in time, instead of getting on and cleaning up the mess which is what we, in fact, do.

Today I am preparing for the up and coming events of the next couple of weeks.  On thursday I shall be at Portsmouth Guildhall, attending the launching of both the Portsmouth Bookfest and the paperback version of Portsmouth Fairy Tales.  I am looking forward to performing one of my short stories at this event and looking forward to working once again with some amazing local authors.

On the 31st October, I will be performing a brand new piece of writing - still being worked on - for the Day of The Dead: Hello Darkness event at the Square Tower in Old Portsmouth.

Both of these events are park of the Portsmouth BookFest and places can be booked online through their website.  Anyone interested in writing, please come along and meet the team.

I hope to see some of you there.

Working at Uplands Independent Hospital

Anyone who has ever worked in Mental Health will understand how challenging it can be sometimes to motivate those we care for.  We all have our own standards of personal hygiene and routines for when we get up in the morning, when we shower, bath or wash, how often we wash our hair or like to shave.  Our personal space is important to us as human beings and we each have the right to our own privacy.

If a person suffers from an enduring and severe Mental Illness such as Schizophrenia or other forms of regular Psychotic episodes, often this results in self-neglect, not just in their personal hygiene but also in the way they maintain their personal space.

When I started working in the Mental Health sector, way back in the 1970s, our patients were “well looked after”.  We had routines of when people had baths - we had the “bath book” which had columns for “hair washed”, “nails cut” and “shaved”, to make sure that every patient on the ward was kept clean and well-groomed.  Baths were done after breakfast and usually two at a time in a large bathroom with two baths and a row of basins.

Patients were turned out of their rooms first thing in the morning when the beds were stripped and made up with clean linen.  Usually after that, the doors were locked and the patients were able to sit in the Day Area unless they went off to Occupational Therapy or Industrial Therapy, two departments in another part of the hospital.   Anyone visiting the ward would see only clean rooms, tidy beds, and patients who were washed and dressed in clean, if ill-fitting clothes.

It’s not like that anymore, thank goodness.

For the past couple of years I have been working at Uplands, an Independent Mental Health Unit which caters for the rehabilitation of people with enduring Mental Health issues.

O.K., to an outsider perhaps, if you look into a resident’s room and see that it is untidy, with spilt coffee on the bedside table, the dregs of several roll-ups on the bed, the sheets awry and the mattress soiled, clothing and rubbish on the floor, you may think this is a sign of neglect.  But it is only one moment in time, any one moment during the day of that resident .  The task of the nurses and support workers is to assist and encourage the resident to have pride in their personal hygiene and their personal space.  Their rooms are the only space that they can go to get away from others that is theirs alone.  They have the key to their own door and they are not locked out of their rooms after cleaners have been in.  Many of our residents have their own tea and coffee facilities in their rooms so that they are able to make themselves a hot drink whenever they wish rather than having to rely on a trolley in the dining room or a ‘beverage point’.  Whilst this makes their lives more independent it needs to be monitored and often their rooms can be messy.  

The work is demanding and challenging but the team is committed to improving the way it delivers the care for which we are employed.  You may find yourself repeating the same tasks day after day, or even several times every day, with residents who need constant support and encouragement to be motivated in doing what to many of us, are simple daily living skills.  Our job is to ensure that our residents receive the best possible care and that their lives are the best that they can be with the limitations that they experience.

I feel privileged to be working with the amazing team at Uplands, a group of hard-working, dedicated professionals who, in the face of adversity, have come together as a strong team.  Over the past year I have attended training on First Aid, De-fibulator, 2 sessions of training on restraint and de-esculation techniques, Safeguarding, Aspergers, Recovery Star, and Mental Health Act.  Over the next few weeks I am attending training on Fire extinguishers, Risk Management, Drug and Alcohol Awareness, Suicide Risk/Self Harm training.  I know there is always room for improvement but after so many years of working in this field, I can honestly say that Uplands is one of the best places I have worked.