Ted’s mission: ‘Time and attention’

Neglect of our elderly living at home has really hit the headlines in the media. You must have heard or read something about the 15 minute agency visits, inadequate for most aspects of caring for a human being.  

When you are not old yourself it is a side of life that can easily be ignored, forgotten or pushed to the bottom of the list of priorities in the huge arena of social issues. The slow murder of young children shocks us more, and we can but hope that such tragic, heart-rending incidents are few. With the ageing population, however, this lack of proper regard for the elderly may be on a massive scale.

I remember when working in a Social Services department in the early 1970s, the big move was to get away from ‘putting old folk into Homes’ and make sure they stayed in their own homes. ‘Domiciliary care’ was the term bandied about as offering a rosy future for the new generation of elderly people. For so many it has all gone wrong. Residential/nursing care is very expensive, this we know. The overheads are huge. I don’t know the relative costs of caring for an elderly person in their own home, but it would seem that such domiciliary services have been pared down to the bone. 

This is an aspect of social change that is fundamental to the story in Shades of Appley Green.

I thought it timely to provide an extract, so you can see what I mean. There is a love story and a lighter side of community and family life going on in the book, but the cornerstone of the story is the mission given to young mother, Steph, by deceased landowner, Ted Devonish, who is already known to readers of my first two books.

This is early on, where she has a meeting with some healthcare professionals in the local hospital. 

“So, tell us a bit more about your charity, could you Steph?” asked Nora, the Parkinson’s specialist nurse. “How long has it been going and what sort of things do you do?”

Steph was always pleased to have the chance to promote SSS and hoped that word of mouth would work its magic – and perhaps a mention on the hospital website.

“There was a local benefactor called Edward Devonish. …”
 

… Steph blinked and collected her thoughts. e pulled her to one side“Anyway, divorced and living alone, he died suddenly two years ago. Tragic. Great sadness in the village.” And great sorrow for me, she wanted to add, but thought it best to keep aloof from the grief she had felt at his loss. “Sometimes it seems it’s always the best people who go before their time, doesn’t it?”

Nora and Heather nodded politely but Steph could see she had overstepped the mark. Be professional, she told herself sharply.

She continued, “His only child, daughter Natalie, had always made it clear she had no wish to be involved in farming, even at arms’ length. His total estate, once sold off realised a tidy few million. Now, he bequeathed a portion of this to a charity and for that he set out some rules. It should be used to set an example of a charity giving special support to senior citizens who need it. For example,” and she handed over a small brochure that set out the SSS mission, “more than personal care, medical attention, financial guidance. Not just housework either, necessary though that is, but on top of that, for those elderly whose families were too distant or too busy, they should be given time and attention.”  Steph stressed the key words, just as Ted used to. She would never let that man down.

Nora nodded, as she scanned the leaflet. “Certainly what people with Parkinson’s need. Everything slows down and not everyone appreciates that.”

A mental picture of Jackson filled the screen inside her head. “Ted knew that so many isolated old people need someone who can listen and respond; treat them with respect as an individual; without being in a rush, think what that particular person really needs based on the lives they have led.”

“Aren’t there charities and agencies who already do this? They have volunteers and even paid support workers who visit, don’t they? Befriending services?” asked Heather, looking at her watch not quite discreetly enough.

“There are, and they do an excellent job, but there aren’t always enough to go round. Carers are inevitably pressed for time by agency schedules. Time costs money. Often there’s little continuity so carer and client really don’t bond – don’t have time to bond. Nobody’s fault, just a fact of life. And volunteers come and go. Few people can afford to give of their time for nothing these days, however much they’d like to. Edward Devonish saw it as important that consistent, visiting friends should be rewarded and … well, have training to be professional so they could also offer information and support.  He said it must be self-funding after five years and set an example so other branches will set up in other areas – without his initial financial backing obviously.”

“So a lot hangs on the success of this pilot then?”

Yes, she thought, all eyes are on me in the village. “Exactly. It’s my job to ensure that Special Support for Seniors has a future.”  Her commitment had extended to giving up a well-paid job but they did not need to know that either. There was so much more to it than that.

Nora raised her eyebrows and threw her a sympathetic smile. “To set an example? Wow, no pressure then! What a challenge Steph! To be self-sufficient sounds demanding, to say the least.” Steph really liked Nora; she was excellent at her job and people respected her for both her expertise and kindness.

“Yep. But Ted Devonish had the foresight to see that if the charity could draw on his bequest indefinitely its staff would just see it as another paid job and be less motivated.”

“So – you have to fundraise as well? I mean, as well as actually helping local clients in quite a direct way.”

Steph nodded. “We need to recruit a dedicated publicist and fundraiser – obviously who can raise much more than they are paid. It’s early days for that, though. First, we need to get the whole thing working."

“Who else works for SSS?”

“I report to a manager – whose role it is to secure other funding like lottery money, trusts and legacies, that sort of thing. And …” she added, reluctantly, trying not to baulk at the words, “… manage me.” The notion of being managed was too close to being bullied in Steph’s eyes. Her mind flicked back subliminally to when she began keeping written records on how she was once ‘managed’ … at a time when she was so desperate for work she dared not open her mouth to anyone about what her manager was doing … Would she want Faith to read about that in the diary?

“What have you achieved so far then, Steph?”

Shades of Appley Green, is available as a paperback or on Kindle from Amazon, (or from Waterstones bookshops) First published in February 2012. Amazon.co.uk

BBC UK News ‘Disgraceful’ short-care visits on rise, says charity.’

 

‘Put yourself in my shoes’ - Parkinson’s Awareness Week

This week, beginning 15 April, is Parkinson's Awareness Week focusing on changing attitudes, using the strapline 'Put yourself in my shoes'. The idea behind the campaign came from a person with Parkinson's who told them how much he wished that people could put themselves in his shoes so they could understand what life is like.

If you have read Shades of Appley Green you may know, or have guessed, that I have some connection with Parkinson’s. I worked in and around Basingstoke and Farnborough as Community Support Worker for the excellent organisation, Parkinson’s UK (then Parkinson’s Disease Society) for a couple of years before retiring in 2008. The title has now changed to Information Support Worker and along with specialist nurses, they do wonderful work nationwide.

Says the society's marketing officer Clare Allen, ‘Working with people affected, we'll be using Parkinson's Awareness Week to expose some of the realities of living with Parkinson's and help the public to better understand the condition.’ She stressed how important it is to get the word out, especially people who have had first-hand experience of the condition.

A little while ago I wrote about ‘Who or What Inspired my Characters’, remembering the days when I travelled around visiting people in their homes or in residential care. 

Extract from Loveahappyending book relaunch :

‘I met some extraordinary people endowed with both spirit and stoicism, rising above the initial shock of diagnosis of a progressive illness, to live life as best they could. Most touching of all was the mutual support between married couples; a man and a woman each battling with a different set of problems but somehow able to get along together and make a good fist of old age. One creative lady, unable to do very much herself or get out of the house, had the unerring love of a husband who would spend many hours furnishing and fitting out miniature houses – like sophisticated dolls’ houses – in a given period, whether Regency, Victorian or 1950s. Days, weeks, years were spent together working with bits of wood, fabric and glue and an assortment of tiny household accessories to create absolute masterpieces. They were wonderful.

Another lady lived alone, in what I would describe as a shrine to all things Art Nouveau, including some exciting, theatrical memories. Scarcely able to walk at all, she relied on a rota of carers and a loving son who came when he could.’

But, sadly, I also saw situations that were less comfortable, where the wider public did not evidently understand the symptoms they saw. Someone who shakes, is slow to move or respond, and perhaps shuffles when they walk may be assumed to be drunk, or have dementia, but of course this is almost always not the case.

In Shades of Appley Green there is an elderly, intellectual gentleman trapped inside a body that would not do as it was told, a victim of both Parkinson’s and arthritis. He becomes isolated. His children have long since flown the nest; his friends have mostly died and he ‘rattles around’ in a big house. He was once famous, lived a rich and interesting life, but who is to know now? Fortunately, he finds a true friend in Steph, a single mother with problems of her own, who has the wit to see that, whilst Parkinson’s is not going to go away (albeit controlled by medication), something can be done to remedy loneliness.

Extract from Shades of Appley Green:

 

      ‘With a tea-trolley heading towards them, Jackson was suddenly asked to step back. It was an abrupt interruption and she saw how fast anxiety flooded his face, sweeping away the smile he tried so hard to keep pinned-on from within the static Parkinson’s face. He had been politely listening to Lilian, with immense concentration, hearing-aid probably full-on, thinking heaven knows what, then out of the blue he was asked to “please move”.

      “Come along now,” said the lady in charge of the trolley, cheerfully, seeing no sign of any attempt to get out of her way. “There’s a love. Just a wee bit more room …”

      Steph put up her hand, as if controlling traffic. “Sorry! Just give us a minute, if you would, please,” she said. “People with Parkinson’s need time. OK?” Turning to Jackson, she whispered in his ear, “One, two, left, right, go!” and he neatly stepped back two short paces. Any onlooker might reasonably question why he had been so deliberately stubborn and slow to shift himself.

       Lilian returned to them, by which time the trolley had moved on and Jackson appeared to be calmly awaiting the next leg of the tour.’

 

Says Steve Ford, Chief Executive, Parkinson’s UK: ‘Can you imagine your body not doing what you told it to? To deal with people staring or tutting when you struggle to get out the right change at a supermarket till? Or how life would be if you were scared to leave the house for fear of freezing to the spot or losing balance and tripping over?’

 

 

If you have Parkinson’s or know someone who is affected by the condition, then it would be wonderful to hear from you. Leave your story below in a brief Comment or contact Parkinsons UK to help spread awareness of how the general public could perhaps be more empathetic and imagine themselves in the shoes of a person with Parkinson’s, or indeed, with another neurological condition.

I would really love to hear from you; it may help others. Spread the word please. Retweet and support.

You can find out more here from Parkinsons UK 

Review of Shades of Appley Green in Parkinson's UK magazine The Parkinson

Shades of Appley Green on Amazon paperback and Kindle

Book Signings have Changed!

How quiet can quiet be?

You may know there are new rules for book signings in Waterstones.  Basically, your slot is limited to two hours and authors must not ‘approach’ customers in the shop but wait politely, mute, like Victorian children, until they are spoken to first! In place for a few months now, book signings are, unsurprisingly, fewer than they have been in recent years.  It can be daunting for an author who is not famous, and it gives the impression that CEO James Daunt is really wanting only celebrity names that will attract queues of ‘fans’.

After more than 35 signings over the years, this was my first signing event under these regulations and it was so quiet I was preparing for an early bath.  I sat for a while in peaceful, reflective mood; after all, what else could I do? Contemplating the Mothers’ Day display, with its Baking Moulds and Janet and John fridge magnets, and the table with an assortment of Kindles, I was inwardly sighing at how things were not what they used to be. What lovely conversations I used to have!

Then I left my post in order to purchase a book upstairs (you’re curious perhaps; it was ‘Wedding Etiquette’ to assist me and my family in getting it right on my daughter’s special day). As I returned, there was a lady looking through my books. It was @CamObserved who had spotted me on Twitter! It turned out our children went to the same school and we had a mutual friend … This delightful person bought Shades of Appley Green and I decided to stay a little longer, still behaving immaculately – apart from my sign, which was a tad wicked I suppose.

'THIS AUTHOR DOES NOT BITE! - PLEASE APPROACH!!'

I ended up signing almost as many books as I might have done by chatting in the old way to likely and unlikely suspects alike. (If charity mugging is chugging, what is book mugging?) A lady came up to me very excited to see Gypsies Stop tHere and No Gypsies Served  –  her adult daughter always said she would like to try the Gypsy lifestyle for a while, so both books were bought for her daughter’s upcoming birthday. I had a lovely chat with a man who used to work with Travellers in Southwark and then a man from Aldershot considered my books thoughtfully and, after I had filled him in with a little background on each one, he bought all three.  It would have been unseemly to hug him and splash wet kisses upon his cheeks and, fortunately, I managed to stop myself in time.

All in all, I did not go home hoarse from talking for maybe four hours to customers who had come into the shop either with a precise purpose or to browse. I was surprised, but maybe this is the way to go after all!

I am not so daunted by Daunt as I was.

PS Big thank you to all in Camberley Waterstones!

Special Offer for you!

For a few days my third novel, Shades of Appley Green, comes to you at a very low price, so now is a good time for you to get your Kindle copy, if you haven’t already.  It is not free, as I am not sure that this is a good way for authors to go. If we continue to devalue our books, I hate to think where this could lead. Even authors have to eat!

I am also visiting a few blogs to give you a few choice titbits and tips that may not have been seen before. 

SPECIAL OFFER Amazon links UK   http://ow.ly/hacOr   USA   http://ow.ly/hacOs

Love a Happy Ending:  What Inspires Fictional Characters? http://loveahappyending.com/re-launch-of-shades-of-appley-green/

Anneli’s Place: Drop By for a Cup of Tea in Appley Green http://annelisplace.wordpress.com/2013/01/23/appley-green/#comments

JLB Creatives Blog: A Tricky Interview! Resulted in all kinds of revelations and pictures. http://jlbcreatives.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/meet-miriam-wakerly.html#Kindle

Michelle Betham's blog - sharing a few (perhaps surprising) romantic moments: http://michellebethamwriter.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/meet-author-miriam-wakerly.html

I hope that this SPECIAL OFFER will help reach out to more readers, wherever you are! If you could click the Tweet and FB buttons below that would be much appreciated!

When you have finished reading it, if you have time to ‘review’, I would love to read what you think on Customer Comments!

How much do People need People?

Shades of Appley Green is about the lives of individuals but it is also about ‘community life’. This is what I often say, but what does that actually mean? Different things to different people, I expect, depending on your interests, age and general circumstances. How much do people need other people? Are they necessary to give you an identity?

You may know I was brought up in Tetbury, a small Gloucestershire town of about 4,000 inhabitants; it gave that sense of belonging, where you felt connected.

Now living in Surrey since 1977, and many more places before that, I have never forgotten that feeling, where you could go down several roads and name each family who lived there. Here in 2012, it is a different world, where former villages have merged into something of a suburban sprawl and acquaintances are nationwide, even global.

Look on any map of Great Britain and you see an enormous mass of villages, but in towns, and even in the London metropolis, there are pockets where you can spot the hub of a community – an old ‘village green’ or park, a church, community hall, a school and a small parade of shops – where residents find a local identity.  

Before retiring in 2008 I was working as a Community Support Worker – a modest kind of job that involved supporting people with information and a listening ear. For two years I was with an organisation that helped teenage mothers, often lonely, who had little help from family or friends; and following that I went out, armed with a lot of empathy and leaflets, to see people with Parkinson’s. If you read Shades of Appley Green you can see and feel the pulse of village life, and strong characters who struggle and overcome on the one hand, single parenthood and on the other, the loneliness that can come with Parkinson’s. It is, I hope, an uplifting book, not a miserable one, but it does look at the downs as well as the ups of life!

Homo sapiens is hard-wired to be tribal – that is my belief. There is a basic instinct in us that drives us to belong – whether to a family, friends,neighbourhood, club, profession or via the Internet – social networking! ‘No man is an island’ – who said that?  Birthdays, weddings, and funerals are usually celebrated or marked in the company of our ‘tribal group’. In evolution, there was strength in numbers, co-operation was key to survival. Lone individuals or nuclear families proved inadequate to defend themselves or their territory. They needed back-up and, later, division of labour.

Of course, there are introverts and extroverts, requiring company and solitary hours in varying proportions. Personally I happily spend hours alone absorbed in what I am doing, but always in the knowledge that I regularly meet up with friends and family. I know gregarious people who can scarcely bear to spend five minutes on their own. I have visited (and been welcomed!) by people living alone insisting they are quite happy and do not need people at all; but then it slips out in conversation that they are on anti-depressants and wonder why they have a constant feeling of anxiety hanging over them.

I was wondering how the rest of you feel on this? Would you be one of those who claim you would be fine on that ‘desert island’? Or, are you a socialite who needs constant interaction? Are you able to achieve the optimum levels of company/solitude or is this something you don’t even think about or aim for? I’d love to know.

I was going to write about things I get up to in my patch of Surrey that help me, now that I do not work, with community spirit, but clearly that will have to wait until next time. Enough, already … !

Amazon UK Paperback and Kindle
Amazon.com (Kindle only)
 

Media round-up!

Here is a swift round-up of media coverage for my new book Shades of Appley Green now a paperback as well a Kindle ebook, available on Amazon and in Waterstone's

I am proud to be one of 30 selected authors who belong to Love a Happy Ending They are holding an international book event, Summer Audience, in June that happens, by sheer coincidence, to be at my old school in the small town of Tetbury, Gloucestershire (very close to Prince Charles’ Highgrove).

More clear evidence that the  Mayor of Surrey Heath opened the fantastic Waterstone's launch party in Camberley on 14 March!

A surprise reporter also came along from Camberley People She is responsible for the lovely photos – just look at that display of books. Thanks Waterstone’s!

Another surprise reporter from the wonderful, culturally stimulating and informative Glow Magazine. It covers the Windsor area where I did a book signing.

Give your eyes a rest, you can listen to this one!! Surrey Heath Residents Blog podcast If you Search this blog with my name many previous appearances come up, related to Gypsies and Travellers, and my first two books Gypsies Stop tHere and No Gypsies Served but as you all know, Shades of Appley Green is not about Gypsies.

Watch out for more ...

Waterstone's book launch party!

I’m not sure how many book launches happen these days, but I think it is a fantastic way to mark the occasion that you have produced a new book and Yay! it is now available to buy and read.

About 40 people came along, about the right number for the upper floor of the shop – a bigger crowd might have resulted in wine spillages and all manner of unruly behaviour!

Sophie from Camberley People was a lovely surprise guest and she stayed until the end, clearly taking mental notes as well as photographs. Camberley People   Cath, Camberley Waterstone’s manager, opened the evening and introduced The Mayor of Surrey Heath, Councillor Tim Dodds, who pioneered Surrey Heath’s first Literary Festival last summer.



At Camberley Literary Festival 2011

He spoke very kindly of my books and his blog post appeared promptly the next morning The Mayor's 'report' He also said how important it is to support bookshops in this age of the e-reader. The Mayor’s personal preference is for a book he can pick up and hold; indeed, he was very taken with my book cover. On the other hand, his wife, also at the party, now prefers her Kindle. Opinion is often divided in this way; meanwhile we authors and publishers need to offer our books in both formats, which reminds me I must get around to getting No Gypsies Served on Kindle …

I failed to speak briefly and probably went on for too long!! But I felt I must explain that this ‘modern village novel’, the first of a new series (did I hear ‘Oh no!’ from my husband), has nothing to do with Gypsies and Travellers this time, although it is set in the same place. The style of book cover indicates something new. 



Thanks to Camberley People for photos



As suggested by Cath, the manager at Camberley Waterstone’s, I did a reading and decided on the 'blurb', Prologue and opening of Chapter 1. Another, more random extract, will be appearing on another blog post on Wednesday, 21 March Love a Happy Ending

As someone also representing the local community - for this novel is very much to do with community life - Chris Pitt, Councillor for Frimley Green and Deepcut, also spoke about how he first met me at a Gypsy and Traveller Forum and later enjoyed my first two novels, Gypsies Stop tHere and No Gypsies Served. A lovely comment he once made in an email: ‘They are amazingly readable, and I tore through each within about 48 hours of purchasing them. Couldn’t put them down wanting to find out what happened.’ There are local plans for a Traveller site up the road from where I live, so these novels are even more topical and of greater local relevance than when first published.

It was all captured on my husband’s movie camera but I’m not sure if this film will ever be released for the general viewing public; something to show my grandchildren, perhaps, in years to come.

This is rather late as I have been frantically busy since last week. A big thank you to everyone there – friends, neighbours, old work colleagues, some people I have never met before. Your support is much appreciated.