CONF

USION

- THE CONTENTS -

- THE BEGINNING -

- THE ARRIVAL -

- THE FAMILY -

- THE DISCOMFORT -

- THE STRANGER -

- THE COFFEE -

- THE HANDS -

- THE WIFE -

- THE FLASHBACK -

- THE MEMORIES -

- THE LINES -

- THE LIFT HOME -

- WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE? -

RICHARD DAVIES is my grandfather. Family and friends refer to him as Dickie. He is a British film and television star. Sadly ten years ago he began to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease, a form of dementia which affects the memory.

As part of my research into the condition I went to visit Dickie at Silver Birches, the nursing home, where he lives now.

This short publication is an insight into Dickie’s experiences and perceptions of daily life such as a simple visit from his family. All the text in this book is made up from extracts transcribed from an hour long recording of a family visit.

TO BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING

THE SPRING MOONLESS NIGHT IN A SMALL TOWN

STARLESS AND BIBLE BLACK

AND RABBIT’S WOOD LIMPING INVISIBLE DOWN TO THE SLOW BLACK, CROW BLACK FISHING BOAT BOBBING SEA

THE HOUSES ARE AS BLIND AS MOLES

THOUGH MOLES SEE FINE TONIGHT IN THE SNOUTING VELVET DINGLE

SIT HERE!HEY YOUHE

Y, WH

ERE Y

OU GO

ING TO

SIT?

SIT HERE

- THE ARRIVAL -

OH HERESIT HERE

OH GOOD

THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO SIT HERE

- THE ARRIVAL -

I’M NOT YOUR BROTHER I’M YOUR SON

DON’T DON’T DON’T EXPECT ANYTHING OF MEI WANT TO TALK TO MY BROTHER RON?SO

N?- THE FAMILY -

I CAN’T THINK

YESWHY

WHICH BROTHER

DID YOU THINK I WAS

THEN?

RON?SON?

- THE FAMILY -

WHY?THIS

IS B

LOOD

Y AW

KWAR

D IS

N’T

IT

DON’T- THE DISCOMFORT -

WHY?

I CAN’T THINK

I’M LYING DOWN

LOOK AT THIS

GO SOFT ON ME NOWDON’T

DON’TI’M NOT SOFT

- THE DISCOMFORT -

WHO’S MYO T H E R B U D D Y ?

- THE STRANGER -

DON’T REMEMBER WHERE THE HELL YOU’RE FROM

IN HEREERMI’M NOT SURE

I’M YOUR GRANDSON

FUNNY OLD WORLD ISN’T IT

YES I KNOW

YES- THE STRANGER -

S W E E TI LIKE IT SWEET DARLING

NO MILK

- THE COFFEE -

I LIKE IT SWEET DARLINGHE LIKES IT SWEET I SAY

NO SUGAR

I LIKE IT SWEET

DICKY LIKES IT SWEET

HOW DID YOU GET HERE?

- THE COFFEE -

- THE HANDS -

LOOK

MY MOTHERS HANDS ARE LIKE THIS AS WELL

ILL SHOW YOU MYFILTHYHANDS

- THE HANDS -

SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE RAIN IN THE BACK YARD OR SOMETHING

IT BOUNCES OFF YOUR HANDS

- THE WIFE -

SHE’S OUT THERE IS SHE?JUST US

WHERE’S

SHE’S NOT HERE WITH US TODAY

NO MUMS NOT HERE TODAYBUT SHE WILL BE COMING EARLY NEXT WEEK

THAT JILL?OHIS

WHAT?

- THE WIFE -

JILL THEN?

THAT JILL?OHIS

NO JILLS NOT HERE

JILL

! YOU SAYTHAT’SNOT JILL?

NO THAT’S NOTNO

SHE’S NOT HERE DAD

JILL IS NOT HERE?

- THE FLASHBACK -THIS

IS A

WAR

CRY

OF T

HE P

AST

HERE

, IN

HERE

MAN

Y YE

ARS

AGO

WE

USED

TO

COM

E HE

RE T

O TA

LK O

F M

URDE

R AN

D W

AR S

TORI

ES

MANY YEARS AGO?

- THE FLASHBACK -

MANY YEARS AGO YESWHEN I WAS HERE WE WERE ALWAYS TALKING BATTLES

TALKING BATTLES?

YOU DIDN’T SAY YOU WEREN’T IN BATTLEYOU’D KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT

- THE MEMORIES -

I REMEMBER WALKING DOWN IN THE PITSCUTTING THE COAL OUT AND ALL THAT AND THINKING YOURSELF AS A MANA MANS JOBAND WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT IT YOU THINK

CLUTS JOB!CLUTS BECAUSE ANY MINUTE SOMETHING COULD FALL FROM THE CEILING AND KNOCK YOU OUT FLAT!

YOU KNOW

- THE MEMORIES -

OH LORD SORT OFI WAS A SOLDIER OF COURSEI WAS A SOLDIER IN THE WAR

DO

YO

U R

EMEM

BER

TH

E W

AR

?

THE FAMOUS ONE WASN’T IT

CAN’T GET OVER THE FACT THAT THEY PUT ME ON THIS BLOODY THING AND EVENTUALLY YOU LIKE IT AND GET TO KNOW IT, JUMP OFF IT AND JUMP ON IT, ALL THAT SORT OF THING

ANY MINUTE NOW YOU’RE GOING TO LOSE A LEG OR A HEAD

YOU COULD BE NOWHERE AT ALL

YOU WERE ON A BIKE

- THE LINES -

IT’S A SPRINGLESS NIGHT IN A SMALL TOWN STARLESS

NO I CAN’T I CAN’TTHEY ARE NOT FAMILIAR ANY MORE

- THE LINES -

AND

THE

RABB

ITS

WOO

D LI

MPI

NG

INVISIBLEDOWN TO THE SLOW BLACK, CROW BLACK FISHING BOAT BOBBING SEA

ARE AS BLIND AS MOLESTHE HOUSESTHOUGH MOLES SEE FINE TONIGHT IN THE SNOUTING, VELVET DINGLES

OR BLIND AS CAPTAIN CATTHERE UP IN THE MUFFLED MIDDLE BY THE PUMP AND THE TOWN CLOCK

THE WELFARE HALL IS FULL OF WEEDS AND ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE LULLED AND DUMBFOUND TOWN ARE SLEEPING NOW

THEY FEAR SOMETHING

DON’T THEY

- THE LIFT HOME -

THERE’S MY GIRLFRIEND OVER THERETAKE ME HOME SHE’S GOT A BIKE

I HAVEN’T BEEN HERE BEFOREI’VE ONLY JUST COME

GOT A BIKE?

YOU LIVE HERE

- THE LIFT HOME -

CAN YOU TAKE ME HOME IN A CAR?GLEN WILL TAKE ME HOME IN A CAR

MY LEGS ARE WORN OUT

GOT A CAR?

- WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE -

- WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE -

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?

RICHARD DAVIES AS

MR PRICE IN PLEASE SIR!TV SERIES

1968 - 1972

- WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE -

- WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE -

WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?

BYIOAN R DAVIES