Dementia Roadshow…….Leeds

Yesterday I was asked to speak at a Dementia Roadshow event in Kippax near Leeds. I’ve been very lucky this week as all events have been in the north.

Tim Sanders, Commissioning Manager, Dementia, NHS Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group / Leeds City Council (long name badge needed!) had sent the invite and being more local than most, was happy to accept.

The very sad thing about this event….was that my ipad died yet again…….😱🤯😱😩 but this time as soon as I got on the first train….😢…..and didn’t start working again until the journey home 😩………..so a wonderful event went uncaptured.

I know I was cold at the station even though they’d promised a warm sunny day🙄 and thankfully I could still take piccies on my phone…..

I know that Tim and the Area Manager of the Alzheimer’s Society picked me up from Garforth Station and I know we got to the venue – a local centre in Kippax – very early. I also know I sat there trying to restart my ipad just as I have done spasmodically for the last fortnight……….but with no luck………

The room soon filled up and some people were standing – seemed to be about 100 locals there including some professionals and a few local stands related to local resources. It was nice to see so many local people present. All I met were just wonderful..

I was up first and spoke for 15 mins on this that and everything, including:

“You should never give up on yourself – many others will do that for you.”

I was then followed by a packed programme

All very interesting and varied, from Gp surgery process to memory clinic process. Not sure at what time we had a break but I sold all the books I’d taken. I only took a few as I didn’t expect so many people to be there. I could have sold them many times over.

The second half was taken up by local services and ended with a wonderful talk by Brian, who is married to Audrey, the love of his life and living with dementia. He ended with a beautiful poignant poem he wrote after a bad day. If my ipad was working I’d have taken a piccie of it as it was truly wonderful – didn’t think of my phone at the time🙈

Many people came up to me and asked a variety of questions before heading back to the station for quite a long wait as we’d overrun so I’d missed my planned train. Then that train was delayed, meaning I missed my connection…… But it was worth the wait as there were many people there who learnt an awful lot today……..

Just wish my ipad had been working for me to tell you the detail 🙄………

At least the weather had turned into the promised warm sunny day…as we trundled home passed the Humber

I’m doing another Roadshow for Leeds next week but this time in Weetwood……wonder if as many will come to that….🤔