The days of our lives

“The days of our lives” is – at its heart – an oral history project which will use the full range of new digital technology – photography, audio, video and online ‘social media’ – to celebrate the lives of the residents of a residential sheltered accommodation and its community.

Whilst still in development, my hopes are to weave together a narrative, that when combined with the power of words; fashions and explores notions of our – as Dr. Paul Bassu cites – “…individual and collective memory…metaphors of home…and the rhetoric of self-making…” located, as they are, within the socially constructed landscape of our worlds.

Project update – September 2009

At this stage of the project development I have initiated contact with Holly Grange which is a sheltered housing initiative comprising 33 1 bedroom sized flats, which were built in 1985 and are situated in Malin Street, Smethwick.

Renovated in 2007, the sheltered housing initiative provides an extra Care Sheltered scheme with on-site care staff (24 hours / 7 days), and non-resident management staff (7 days) and community alarm service. The service is operated by Sandwell Council

I contacted my primary contact, Ms. Lorraine Skipp, at the beginning of August and outlined my initial project ideas to her wherein which she discussed her own interest and in turn scheduled a meeting to discuss how this idea could be further advanced.

A summary of the points discussed in the meeting is below:

Lorraine was extremely keen that the project should go ahead. She sees it as a way of “celebrating Holly Grange and its community”.

She was especially keen on the potential the project has to:

• Celebrate individual life stories.

• Utilise audio and video recording – especially with those residents who may not wish or consider themselves able to write their own blog contributions.

• Create a sense of community both within Holly Grange and possibly across other Sandwell Homes housing units for which she has responsibility (Walker Grange, Tipton; Manifoldia Grange, West Bromwich; possibly Penmakers, the Sandwell Homes/Midland Heart joint venture housing on the site of the old Bearwood Pens factory, Bearwood Rd)). However, it is not clear in practice how tenants at other locations might be supported to be part of the project nor whether realistically the project can be run on multiple sites.

We agreed that there should be an introductory “icebreaker” session – in which residents might be asked to participate by bringing an object or photograph that means something special to them or depicts a period of their lives that is especially important.

Whilst Lorraine saw the clear potential that the project has to showcase Holly Grange and celebrate the community that has developed there – one that is largely otherwise hidden away, she also acknowledged some potential problems:

• Vulnerable adults/duty of care – project workers may need CRB checks; Sandwell MBC will need to satisfy itself that there is no potential for exploitation of residents.

• Sandwell MBC/Sandwell Homes has a stringent communications policy which is applied to all Holly Grange publications/communications and it is likely that SMBC will consider that this should also apply to the project.

• Privacy and ‘release’ issues re. photography, video and audio inclusions.

These issues will probably have to be resolved to SMBC’s satisfaction before project can commence on-site – but it is evident that Lorraine wants these issues to be overcome.

Project update – November 2009

The population of the UK is ageing. Over the last 25 years the percentage of the population aged 65 and over increased from 15 per cent in 1983 to 16 per cent in 2008, an increase of 1.5 million people in this age group. Over the same period, the percentage of the population aged 16 and under decreased from 21 per cent to 19 per cent. This trend is projected to continue. By 2033, 23 per cent of the population will be aged 65 and over compared to 18 per cent aged 16 or younger.

“The days of our lives” is an oral history project which will use the full range of new digital technology – photography, audio, video and online ‘social media’ – to celebrate the lives of the residents of a residential sheltered accommodation and its community.

In a culture obsessed with youth, fame and celebrity, in which older people’s histories and experiences are increasingly ignored, a project about community, experience and ageing has special relevance.

Whilst still in development, my hopes are to weave together a narrative, that when combined with the power of words; fashions and explores notions of our – as Dr. Paul Bassu cites – “…individual and collective memory…metaphors of home…and the rhetoric of self-making…” located, as they are, within the socially constructed landscape of our worlds.

In practice:

After numerous voice, and email conversations and meetings with Lorraine Skip, Manager at Holly Grange Care Centre, during August and September on October 7th I finally met with residents to discuss the scope of my project.

At the meeting I was introduced to 8 residents who, during the 90 minute ‘icebreaker’, expressed a keen interest in the project. In an informal group setting we discussed the idea history and the need for it to be shared to new generations unawares of the past.

We discussed some of the following points.

1. We spoke about modern culture and the ways in which the society in which we live is obsessed with youth, fame and celebrity where the voices of older people are ignored. Someone raised the issue of how other cultures respect the voice of elders.

2. I raised the idea of them being social historians and that their experiences would become an oral history of what has gone before – that they are the link to the past.

3. I put this into the context of the ways in which TV is obsessed with history but usually it is the opinion of an expert – who was not there – retelling history. They were there – and so this is their opportunity to tell their stories.

4. I explained that my project will hope to record their memories and experiences of the past, of today and tomorrow in an oral histories project – that if you agree – will be kept for future generations. I mentioned that they have all been witness and lived through such amazing and interesting times. You have seen the world change around you in ways that no-one could have imagined. You are our only real link to the past and I would be honoured if you would share them with me.

5. I discussed that the project was not just about the war, or memories of 60 years ago – that all memories even those from yesterday are valid (that no story is too small) and that they can all be involved within a range of ways.

6. I discussed a number of entry levels to the project. Actively writing blogs themselves, having someone write them for them, being recorded etc.

After the conclusion of the first meeting I was surprised how positive the group had been towards the project.

By the time of my second visit I would be introduced to a range of difficulties that I thought the first visit had resolved.

1. Prior to my second visit I had asked residents to bring an object – photo, letter etc – that they had a personal connection to so that they could discuss this and share a memory about it. I kept the same group setting from the previous session – as they had expressed that they would be more comfortable sharing their experiences with the group rather than with me individually.

2. I realised beforehand, as I was recording this, that this might be problematic but had no other choice but to continue with it.

3. It was clear that some of the people present had not been there the previous week and had no idea what the others were doing. It appears that staff had realised and opportunity to ‘off hand’ some residents for an hour.

4. This proved quite destabilising as they constantly spoke over other people, and asked why they were here?

5. It was immediately clear that no matter how much I described the project – without a product (or a blog with their stories and images on) they were not able to pre-visualise how their words, stories and images would be shared to the world.

6. It was immediately clear that the group format was not right. Asking residents to be quiet whilst they listened to stories they had no interest in was problematic.

7. It was also quite clear that stories chosen lacked a degree of intimacy and perhaps were chosen more for public consumption within the group. I realised that the other members of the group are strangers to them and whether it’s because they are from a generation that does not share publicly what they are feeling inside, or they felt uncomfortable revealing things about themselves to strangers – they would constantly refuse to talk about how they felt within certain circumstances and stories would start off promising and then dry up when they thought they were revealing too much of themselves.

8. It was also clear that some of the residents had believed the first session was the beginning and the end of the project.

9. Whilst I thought I was fully aware of what difficulties might arise from working with an older target group – it has proven more difficult than I had imagined.

10. The issue of levels of privacy became important as, within the group firstly there is a fear of the internet and indeed a fear of computers – and technology – as a whole. Within the group only one individual uses the communal computer and he himself does not like the internet.

11. It was immediately clear that no matter how much I described the project – without a product (or a blog with their stories and images on) they were not able to pre-visualise how their words, stories and images would be shared to the world.

Products of second session:

Whilst there were many issues arising from the second session – there have been a degree of progress made.

Whilst recording interviews within the group format was difficult it was still possible to construct 14 good interviews from this session. Examples of some are below:

Edna – her husband, Afghanistan

Edna: This is the certificate that my husband was given – ‘cause the Royal Marines come under the Navy not the Army – and that was his certificate to go on-board ship.

Andrew: Do you mind if I pass it round?

Edna: Well, I’m not sure if they –

Alan: I’d like to see it if you don’t mind, Edna…

Edna: And that’s when he was discharged after the war.

Andrew: When did you meet each other?

Edna: Oh, I’ve known him all my life, I knew him all my life, yes, we didn’t meet in the forces… We lived by one another in West Bromwich, from children we knew each other… And that’s his Commando certificate to say where he served and that… He went onto the Marines in 1943 and then he volunteered for the Commandos.

Andrew: How did you feel when he joined up?

Edna: Well, he never spoke about his experiences. You could never get anything out of him. The only person who ever got anything out of him was his doctor when he was dying of cancer.

Andrew: So while he was away you kept in touch by letter?

Edna: No, we didn’t, we saw each other once when we both happened to be on leave at the same time – ‘cause I was in the army too – we met once and then we didn’t meet up again until after the war was finished, and then we got married in 1947.

Andrew: It’s difficult for someone of my generation to understand that kind of situation.

Edna: Well, after the war, you picked up the treads, got a job and carried on. You didn’t forget…you couldn’t forget the war…being in the forces. We’re doing things here now for the boys in Afghan – collecting stuff to send parcels to them for Christmas. Well, I’ve been in touch with all the different Territorial Units to give us names of boys out there because the GPO won’t accept parcels unless they’re sent to an individual person. I shall be on the phone tonight to West Bromwich Territorials to see if they’ve got any boys in Afghan. I mean, we must forget these people who are serving the country – to stop terrorism, really.