By Anne Grange – Project Coordinator
It seems strange to look back on 2019 now and how busy I was with the In Our Day Project, organising group reminiscence sessions in care homes, recording interviews, working with a fantastic team of volunteers, and designing a book that documented our participants’ memories of Sheffield and the key moments in their lives, as well as the poems that we wrote together in sessions.
I hope that this difficult year, the residents and staff of the care homes I worked with are keeping as safe as possible. The book came back from the printers just before lockdown and was distributed to the care homes that participated in the project. The books have been so successful with residents that I had to deliver more books to the Sheffcare homes. The In Our Day books are now also available on the Blue Sticker Collection at Walkley Library, which is now open on a Click and Collect basis, and have been distributed to other libraries around the city.
The books are also available from Amazon.co.uk, with all the royalties going to Walkley Carnegie Library. The books are available as an e-book and a paperback. Click here to buy your copy!
Poems from the In Our Day sessions!
Here are some poems that were written in our reminiscence sessions with people with dementia:
…And Then My Favourite Song Came On
Written by residents of Moorend Place Care Home, Sheffield, 08/05/19
I was just leaving the taps on;
Drinking a coffee,
Having a smoke,
Doing the housework,
Hoovering up,
Walking the dog
On Stannington Hill,
On the way to the pub,
Going for a pint,
Ironing the shirts,
Feeding the rabbits,
Washing the pots,
Driving the car…
…and then my favourite song came on.
I put the iron down – Bang!
Danced around the ironing board,
Making my mum stare at me
Like I was an idiot,
Singing at the top of my voice,
In front of people walking past,
Feel like going to bed, but I’d love to dance again,
The dripping tap reminding me of
‘Singing in the rain’.
I don’t like cleaning –
I’d rather play air guitar –
Bash imaginary drums.
Running towards where the music is coming from,
Humming if I’ve forgotten the words,
Time after time.
Sheffield Food
Written by the residents of Leahyrst care home 19/06/19
Sausages from the meat market or Davies the Butchers
Hotpot – with minced beef or scrag end
Eggs from our own hens in the back garden
Fish from the market – kippers, trout, finny haddock
French fries from MacDonalds nowadays –
But I remember chunky chips from Graham Shaw’s in the market.
Icing sugar to put on cakes or donuts
‘Endersons Relish on stews and dumplings
Lamb’s liver and onions, mashed potatoes and processed peas.
Dumplings with gravy – I love to watch them grow in the stew
Fish and chips, fresh from the chip shop
Omelette with cheese and mushrooms
Onions – boil them with hotdogs
Dinner time, tea time, suppertime!
In Our Day Walkley 