Over the years I’ve often visited Leeds playhouse. The “ever passionate about making it right for people with dementia”, Nicky Taylor, who now has the fancy title ‘Theatre and Dementia Research Associate’ has often invited me over to advise on shows which have a ‘Dementia appropriate performance’. Past shows have included Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Still Alice and I’m sure I’ve been there for other things 🤔…..
Just before Covid hit us all for 6 I was involved with the making of Maggie May by the talented playwrite, Frances Poet. I met Frances, according to my blog 😂, and talked through her ideas along with the lovely DEEP group that has its home at the theatre. Then life came to a standstill and the show, like everything else was cancelled. Well now the show finally gets to be shown on stage…
So last Tuesday, Nicky had invited me and my lovely playmate, Rosa, to be on stage talking about the role that creativity had played in helping us cope with our dementia. To help promote the session, I think we were both asked:
“how has continuing to be creative helped you in life after diagnosis?“
My response was:
“Continuing to be creative helps me escape my dementia, shows others I’m still a person with talents despite my dementia and in the process helps others to understand this complex brain disease.”
Many of us have proved that creativity doesn’t stop just because we have a diagnosis of dementia. In fact many of us flourish as dementia gives us the space and time needed to enhance our creativity. The lovely Rosa wrote a fairytale during Covid and would be reading that out to the audience, then Nicky would interview me about my books.
Crikey, I’ve just realised I’ve typed a lot without any photos 🤣….so let’s start the day properly. The taxi wasn’t picking me up until 9am, so I had time for my 5am trundle. However, it was a very overcast morning. I knew I would see no hint of a sunrise sadly, but I needed to walk as I wouldn’t get another chance that day ….
Sadly the light was very poor. No dramatic skies this morning…just grey and dreary and my camera didn’t like it one bit 🙄

I saw deer galore typically. These first were passed the last farm as I was heading for the single track road. I took loads of photos but only this one came out enough to show and certainly not perfect 🙈

But never mind, I saw them and watched them and two other surprised me by jumping out from by the fence as I trundled along minding my own business 😂
My camera really doesn’t like low light, which was such a shame this morning as a white barn owl hovered above the grass ready to pounce on its breakfast….but sadly the photos didn’t come out. But I can prove it was real by the blurry scene below 🤣

More deer, more hazy photos 🙈

So I stopped zooming in, switched off my camera and simply trundled. By the time I got back the light was better and I snapped a piccie of Wally and friends. They’ve just swapped fields and had a new grazing spot

By the time the taxi arrived, the sky was blue, the sun was shining 🙄…typical….😂
I changed trains at Hull and started my journey to Leeds….the train was calm and quiet as we passed by the Humber

But then all chaos broke out between the couple in front of me. The man couldn’t find his passport. 😳 Bags were unloaded, contents thrown over the seat, arguments ensued about whose fault it was, the air was blue with fouled language as one blamed the other. Wife was going to go without the husband; divorce proceedings were being planned; and I was getting more anxious by the minute 🙈…..
Wife eventually found it for the husband – in HIS bag – where HE’D put it 🤣……divorce proceedings ended and both settled down, on separate seats away across from one another, and turned their backs on each other, a bit like 2 hares I’d snapped the other day after a fight 😂…..

I played solitaire to calm me down 🙄 The recriminations started up again as we reached Selby 🙈……..I was thankful Leeds was the next stop and I was able to leave them to it….
As I got to the Playhouse, Maggie May was being advertised on the boards outside

It’s had a major revamp since I was last here

I didn’t recognise any of it but luckily someone called Maggie saw me through the door and let me in. It was verrrry different. Felt in a totally strange place😳……but I sat on a seat and typed this while I waited for Nicky to arrive with Rosa.
It wasn’t long before two big beaming faces came towards me and we went upstairs to the room…..and an instant time for a selfie

Rosa allowed me to read her fairy tale, Rosa and the Magic Quest….which she wrote with her writing, Barney….wow…

…it was so wonderfully written and included Rosa going out in the dark, which, in real life, she’s terrified of the dark…hence the fairy tale. It was beautiful….and yes, she did go out in the dark….Rosa said writing makes her happy and forget about dementia, just as it does for me 😍
Then the star of Maggie May, playing Maggie, Eithne arrived to say hello…time for another photo

The writer of Maggie May, Frances Poet came to say a quick hello. She couldn’t stay for the session but wished us luck and thanked us for our contribution to the play….

Rosa was extremely nervous, and we tried everything to calm her nerves. Rosa didn’t want to face the audience so she faced the wall to and just concentrated on Nicky as she read her fairy tale to the audience

She was brilliant as I knew she would be but soooo glad it was over bless her….it was then my turn and me and Nicky had planned our questions and I read two extracts from my book about the ‘gifts’ of dementia and technology. It was then the turn of the audience to ask their questions. There were some really interesting ones which I obviously can’t remember now, but I remember thinking they were interesting and different from the norm. One that stood out was from the writer Frances Poet – I’m sure she’d said she wasn’t staying for the whole session 😂,,,,as during my piece I sang her praises. Nicky had asked me why it was important to include us when writing a play about dementia. I said Frances had seen the importance of asking many of us for our views; getting to know us; getting to know the reality of dementia, otherwise how could she have written such a brilliant play. Turns out Frances didn’t leave and was there when I sung her praises 🤣

At the end people were generous and kind with their applause and some came up to chat and buy my book. I didn’t take enough so I should have taken more 🙈…felt terrible when one chap came running in at the end when everyone had left as he’d got his money but I’d sold out 🙄
One very special, very precious moment, was when a man living with dementia came to buy a book. He said his son had bought him my first book 4 years ago when he was diagnosed but he’d never read it; he was afraid to. Now he’s met me and heard me speak, he was going to give his son my second book and go straight home and start reading my first as he was no longer afraid of it🥰 – tiny moments like that make all this worthwhile…
One last piccie before we leave of the three of us….it had been such a wonderful session….

As we left, the sun was still shining. I didn’t have long to wait for a train. I used my app to see what time my connection would get into Beverley, then rang my taxi people. They’re the only people I ring because as soon as I say it’s Wendy, they recognise my voice and save me any hassle of having to explain anything. What I hadn’t realised was it was Beverley Races and Michelle on switch said they were chaotic, but to come to the desk when I arrive and she’d sort something out for me 🥰…..that’s why I always use my taxi firm as they always look after me no matter what……..