Heritage from Home - Issue 6

Heritage from Home

Hello and welcome to another edition of Heritage from Home.

This week we are thinking about kindness. Over the last few weeks we have all witnessed extraordinary acts of kindness that seem to light up the dark in these challenging times.

NHS staff, volunteers delivering meals, neighbourhood groups forming, children making rainbows to make passers-by smile - it is super inspiring. In a strange way it helps us reflect a little more on the ‘Spirit of the Blitz’. Maybe with less romanticism and more of an appreciation of the importance of kindness, hope and solidarity.

Our project will soon take a new turn; we will go back to young people and invite them to become part of making a radio drama. We would absolutely love any help and input into creating stories, All photos from the project with young people

so if you have spare time and some interest, please do get in touch with us – we’d love to hear from you. You can email louise@ bouncetheatre.com to find out more.

Wishing you well.

With love from Louise, Holly-Anne, Henry, and Sharon at Bounce Theatre.

Things to read Heritage with Henry

As it’s Mental Health week it is tempting to talk about that old adage, the ‘Blitz spirit’ - of the quiet resolve of the British people carrying on, despite the odds. One would think it would have some lessons for us in the here and now, as to how we can cope during this crisis.

However, when I began researching the ‘Blitz spirit’, I was surprised to find it’s something of a myth. There was nothing noteworthy about people carrying on through the Blitz.

They weren’t doing so because of stubborn, irrepressible optimism they were carrying on because there was no other choice.

The government interpreted this, perhaps purposefully, as evidence of our cheerful demeanour as a nation indeed that’s the picture they gave in reports of the nation’s morale. Such a myth has its uses - it may be a selffulfilling prophecy, then and now - if you think everyone else is staying positive, it may be easier to do the same. It was useful in confronting the enemy too; when the Blitz finally ended in May 1941, Hitler was left frustrated that he’d seemingly failed to break the British spirit. But at what cost?

Although people’s struggles through the trauma went largely undocumented at the time, I have read that the government sent psychiatrists to Hull to investigate their mental states after heavy

bombing. They found people who suffered from persistent crying, shakes, headaches, and dizziness.

This went untreated and will have led to unresolved trauma. While the effects of lockdown on our mental health are no doubt different to the trauma of experiencing bombing, I think this shows that pretending everything is fine is unhelpful, and potentially damaging.

What I was particularly struck by last week was London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, speaking openly about the effect of the coronavirus crisis on his mental health. Political leaders spend more time talking about mental health generally these days, but them talking about their own mental health is rarer. As one of the highest-ranking politicians in the country, it’ll no doubt reassure many to hear one of our leaders is struggling too, and isn’t afraid to openly discuss it. Khan told of speaking about it with family and friends as well as publicly, which may encourage others to do the same.

Whatever our politics, this is surely

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an example to follow - an example of kindness.

Kindness is this year’s theme of Mental Health Awareness week, and WWII was filled with small acts of kindness in abundance. I’ve read many of these, from civilians offering soldiers on leave or long journeys hot meals and drinks, to even criminals helping save lives during air raids.

But a story that particularly resonates with me is that of Harry Bradford.

Bradford began the war working in a large grocery store in Eastbourne.

In London, meanwhile, teenagers were getting into trouble on streets, playing around on dangerous bomb sites amongst other things.

Unbeknownst to Bradford, a new youth club was being set up in Hackney, East London, and his wife’s cousin put his name down to become a warden for them. Thanks to his involvement in helping cubs and scouts for much of his life, Bradford got the job, causing him and all his family to have to uproot to London in the middle of a war!

Bradford’s youth work was a huge success. He organised many activities for the local young people,

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growing club membership to over 150, and keeping them off the streets. On his route home every night, Bradford befriended many air raid wardens, on occasion helping them with their work - one night, he even helped rescue an injured elderly couple from their house, after it had been hit by an unexploded bomb.

Bradford didn’t have to do any of this - he had a life in Eastbourne, there was no need for him to move to London at the height of the Blitz.

But he found his calling, continuing youth work after the war. His daughter went on to describe how one teenager, who emigrated to Canada, returned to England to track him down, thanking him for the wonderful memories she had of an otherwise frightening and traumatic time.

When this crisis is over, we’ll cling to and remember this - that when things felt dark and scary, people were kind, in ways big and small - from grocery shopping for those shielding or isolating, to clapping for our carers, to TV and online events bringing communities together, to just being a listening ear for each other when things get a bit much.

I hope this is the spirit we take forward through this week, this crisis and beyond - the spirit of kindness.

What are you doing to be kind to yourself and others during lockdown? Do you or a family member have more positive reflections on ‘the Blitz spirit’? Write to us and let us know!

Memory lane

Letters, memories and photos from our participants A little excerpt of an interview with a man called Peter. We picked it this week because it made us smile and reflects the kindness of nurses decades ago.

We were rascals, I must admit.

One time I nearly drowned in the Thames, well, twice really. I was messing about around Teddington Lock. You know the bridge? Well I was taking a little dog for a walk for Mrs Sanders…I always remember Mrs Sanders…she kept pigs on Ham land and we used to take all our potato peelings to her and she used to feed the pigs. Anyway…she had a little dog, and she said, “would you take my dog for a walk?” and I said, “yeah, ‘course,” so I went hold of the lead and took him over. Went over the first part of the bridge, if you remember – the first bit that goes to the lock, and I went down the steps, through the archway and walked towards the weir…where the big walkway goes round…and where it slopes down to the river from the weir, in them days it was a big slab of concrete. And it was all green and slimy where the water had come up. And this little dog ran down there and I thought, “oh, can he swim?” [laughter] And being a kid, you know, I shouted his name and ran, looking behind me, and I ran off the wall!

I got up, and put my weight on my left foot, and screamed. And I sank down in the water. The water was up to here, up to my neck, and I was crying my eyes out. And a tug went

by up on the top and he heard me crying and he tied his tug up and he got me out.

Oh thank god.

And I went to Teddington Hospital and had it set and that.

And you’ve still got problems with it today?

Yeah, I’ve still got problems with it today, yeah. But what happened was, when I came out of Teddington Hospital, I had this big plaster cast on and I had a, sort of – in them days they put a sort of a rubber heel on.

Oh right.

As far as I can remember, and I used to sort of hop about at school, you know? With this big plaster on.

Anyway, I went and had it off, didn’t have physiotherapy or anything in them days…

No. …so I sort of walked about and gradually I got it…it was sort of slack at first but gradually as the muscles took that… Anyway, when I went to see a consultant and he said to my mum, “make him walk up and down there,” and she said to me, “walk up and down there,” so I walked up and down and I heard him whisper to her, “it’s not right; he’s limping badly”. I never thought anything of it, being a kid.

It was about a fortnight later and my mum said, “we’re going up London,” I said, “are we?” Little did I know. Anyway, when I went

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Memory lane Goodness!

But when I woke up, I went to get out of bed, I had another big bit of plaster on my leg again! It never gave me any trouble until I was about 76.

up London I went to the London Orthopaedic Hospital. My mum stayed about an hour. I put these hospital pyjamas on. About an hour after she’d gone this nurse comes out and says, “would you like a sweetie?” and I says, “oh yeah!” and she give me a big bonbon, I always remember, it was like a liquorice bonbon, but twice as big and it was yellow – I remember.

And she said to me (and being a kid I never twigged it), she said, “it’s not very nice – don’t suck it, just swallow it,” and I thought…

Sweeties?!

I swallowed it. And when I woke up, my ankle had been done.

Unbelievable!

It knocked me out.

Really?

Yeah. She didn’t want to frighten me. For the operation, you know?

Never heard of that! A big yellow sweetie?

Yeah. It was a knock-out pill.

And then it started.

I played football and cricket with it. ‘course, I went in the RAF for eight years and never had any problem with it. Well, that’s not strictly true, I went up for a medical up in London. They’d said come up in a fortnight’s time, and you won’t believe this but I was completely naked in this room… [laughter] …and three doctors come in. One was a woman! And I’d never…you know…

Yeah. …and I was…

You didn’t like that.

I didn’t like that! And I was like this, and they asked me a load of questions and he said, “I notice your ankles a bit…um…thingamy,” And I said, “yeah,” I said, “I fractured it when I was a boy,” and he said, “can you go down on…you know…bend your knees?”

Yeah, bend your knees.

“12 times,” and I said…I thought to myself, “oh god, they’re gonna chuck me out. I did it, no problem at all. And he said, “ok, come back in a fortnight’s time for tests,” and he said, “you’ve passed it.” And I thought, “thank God for that!”

•

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Things to write Creative writing with Sharon

The Kindness of Strangers This week we’re celebrating kindness and connection with others. During the Lockdown we’ve seen people carrying out so many acts of kindness for others in their community. What acts of kindness have meant the most to you, during the Lockdown or before it? Share your stories of kindness with us by emailing louise@bouncetheatre.com Here are some stories to inspire you: Megan’s story: The kindness of some people at the moment is making me cry regularly - and I’m so grateful.

Sharon’s story: After I finished university I went to work in Italy for six months.

One day during my time there I was sat in a park in a small town in Tuscany. Unfortunately a man started bothering me and then it began to pour with rain. I walked down the hill heading towards the hotel I was staying at.

On the way I got chatting to a Serbian family walking in the same direction who had also been in the park. The mother of the family invited me into their home, where she gave me a towel to dry off with as I was soaked and then a cup of lovely hot coffee. I played with the children and then watched a video of their parents’ wedding.

The next day I bought a thank you card for the family and posted it through their letterbox using an online translator so I could write them a message in Serbian. I have never forgotten their kindness and also how lovely it was to connect with them in that moment.

The wider kindness is astounding, but just in my own little closer sphere there have already been so many acts. Like the neighbour who silently drops flowers outside my disabled Mum’s door once a week, to help her through the isolation of shielding, without even leaving their name or looking for thanks. Or the NHS volunteer now sometimes helping out when it’s harder for me to get there, to get her prescriptions or walk her dog. Or my own neighbour who took her food when I was self-isolating with a cough. And the random people from breweries and shops who’ve been helping me source spare PPE from businesses or 3D printers we can use to make masks with.

I hope we can all take some - nay, A LOT - of this energy and community spirit forward and not lose it. We CAN’T go back to normal. I want to

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It turns out, although he was chuffed....he was a recovering alcoholic! So he put the beer into his computer as a ‘broken bottle’ and gave it back to me to enjoy myself for being kind!

Vicky’s Story: I’ve had a busy time during Lockdown and set up a group called Crafting for Covid. We make face shields, scrubs, scrub bags and more for NHS staff. I’ve been so busy that I almost forgot about my birthday last week. figure out what is most precious to bring with us from this challenging time and how we want our new world to look - and community spirit is definitely one very important piece of that puzzle.

Ruth’s story: My daughter’s eleventh birthday was at the start of lockdown. That morning we woke up to a chocolate egg, bath-bomb, and a handmade card from a local old people’s home and the ‘village elves’. I still don’t know who organised it! Also in a local town before the lockdown a little boy gave out roses to make people smile.

Until all of my neighbours surprised me by singing to me from a social distance on my driveway and bringing me cake! It was the loveliest surprise and actually one of the best birthdays I’ve had.

I’ve loved getting to know my neighbours during this time.

Rob’s story: I had an online delivery shop booked, I’d arranged it before lockdown and it was delivered just after. I added a big bottle of beer onto my order to give to the driver - I was thinking it must be a nightmare for them.

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Kindness poems In an acrostic poem, certain letters in each line spell out a word or phrase. Typically, the first letters of each line are used to spell the word, but they can appear anywhere.

Below are some examples. Can you write your own Acrostic poem about Kindness or as a way to show gratitude and kindness to someone else?

Start by writing the first letters of your word and then go from there!

Don’t worry about rhyming and see where the words take you!

Kindness Kindness shines In extraordinary places Nestling deep, smiles in strangers’ faces Down our streets, in our hospitals, Next door, through our neighbours’ walls Every week we meet in a Thursday applause Standing distant yet together Simply saying thanks, for something so much bigger My Mum Tough, abrupt, kind, determined to the maximuM Jive dancing, gardening, gathering the most from every daY Giving me the best start, the chance to play, try and dreaM I owe so much to YoU Thank you for your love, your laughter, your wisdom, for being my MuM

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get the message As this week’s theme is all about kindness and connection, we’ve asked some youngsters that we know to drop you a line, here are some of the letters that we’ve received! If you’d like to write back then please email your letters to Louise@bouncetheatre.com.

We’d love to hear from you.

keep positive!

More letters on page 13...

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Things to make Art with Holly-Anne

Kindness and Colour This week we look at Kindness and Colour. Check out the emotions colour wheel and think about how colour and mood correlate. For example – seeing red when we are angry, feeling blue when we are sad, or in the pinkest of health.

Take a look at my artwork “My Little Pannacotta” and how by changing the background colour and hues affects the mood of the artwork.

I’ve provided a My Little Pannacotta colouring in template for you to colour yourself. Use coloured pencils or pens and decorate with any mixed media materials you have. Cut around the template and fold down the middle to make a card. Write a special note to someone you’d like to cheer up and send it to them. Be as creative as you can, and mostly have fun!

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JUST FOR FUN End the proverb Complete the following: “Too many cooks…”

“When the going gets tough…”

“Birds of a feather...”

“A picture is...”

“There’s no place...”

“The early bird...”

“Beggars…”

“If it ain’t broke…”

“You can’t judge…”

Words of the Week Chalfonts (Chalfont St Giles) - piles (Haemorrhoids) Chewy toffee - coffee China (china plate) - mate (‘me old china’) Christmas crackers - knackers (testicles) Christmas crackered - knackered (worn out, exhausted, broken, etc.)

Crust (crust of bread) - head

Dingbats Dingbats 1.

C C C C C C C

6.

0 BSc MA PhD

2.

GIVE FORGET GIVE FORGET GIVE FORGET GIVE FORGET

7.

KNEE LIGHTS

3.

4.

HE’S / HIMSELF

8.

YOUJUSTME

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9.

CYCLE CYCLE CYCLE

TO CH U

5.

R|E|A|D|I|N|G

10.

MILONELION

End the Proverb Answers: spoil the broth.” the tough gets going.” flock together.” worth a thousand words.” like home.” catches the worm.” can’t be choosers.” don’t fix it.” a book by it’s cover.”

Dingbats Answers: 1. Seven seas 2. Forgive and forget 3. He’s beside himself 4. Tricycle 5. Reading between the lines 6. Three degrees below zero 7. Neon lights 8. Just between you and me 9. You’re out of touch 10. One in a million

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