the morningside mirror 03.2011 edition
Morningside Mirror was a magazine published by patients and staff at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital between the years of 1845 and 1974. This new edition of ‘The Mirror’ is part of Artlink’s contribution to examining the Royal Edinburgh’s 200 year-long history in the lead up to the hospital-wide Bicentenary commemoration in 2013. If you would like to find out more about this and other related projects call Alex, Anne or Ciara at Artlink on ext. 46127.
Contributors to 03.2011 edition: Anne Elliot, Simon Guest, Maggie McIvor, Ciara Phillips & Beth Thomson.
2 | The Morningside Mirror | 03.11 1
4
Welcome to the Springtime edition of the Morningside Mirror. In these pages you’ll find out all about our plans for Growing Week and how you can take part... 2
6
7
Now in its 3rd year, the Royal Edinburgh’s Growing Week is full of activities that you can take part in. Whether its potting up herbs to grow on your windowsill, or planting vegetables in your Growing Plot, Growing Week offers something for everyone.
take part
Here are some of the ways that you can take part – there’s no need to book, just feel free to drop by (unless otherwise noted).
There’s information here about how you can get involved with activity at the Glasshouses, and we’re keen to let you know about Royal Edinburgh’s Got Talent – our focus for 2011. In this issue we’re profiling three talented individuals so read on to find out more...
GET INVOLVED
8
9
If you would like to play an active role in Growing Week, Glasshouses activity or Royal Edinburgh’s Got Talent please contact Artlink on ext. 46127. We would love to hear from you – all ideas welcome.
3
GROWING WEEK 28 MARCH‑01 APRIL
9 Tommy Miller from Edinburgh Community Food Tuesday at their weekly fruit and veg stall. 10 Issy and Alex in the Patients’ Council and Out Patients’ garden.
10
3 Potting up at the Volunteers’ Hub. 4 The extraordinary Mrs. Plant Pot back by popular demand.
Tuesday 29th March
10.00am – 3.00pm The extraordinary Mrs. Plant Pot will be travelling around the Hospital with her potting trolley. Contact Artlink if you would like her to visit your ward/office, ext. 46127.
1.30 – 3.00pm Come along to the Glasshouses to try your hand at cyanotype (a photographic printing process that creates beautiful cyan blue images). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------All day Tom the Gardener will be giving expert gardening advice – don’t miss out on this! Please contact Artlink in advance to book an advice session with Tom, ext. 46127.
1.00 – 3.00pm Take part in a day trip to the Botanic Gardens with the Hive. Please contact the Hive to book a place, ext. 46256. 8 Bluebell Cyanotype.
2 Tom the Gardener in an advice session.
Wednesday 30th March
8.30am – 2.00pm The Edinburgh Community Food fruit and vegetable stall will be open in the central hallway of Mackinnon House. They’ll be raffling off a hamper full of tasty treats and all customers will get a raffle ticket with their purchase.
4
1 The Growing Competition is back! Grow sunflowers and tomatoes where you can find a little sunshine.
Monday 28th March
5 Spiral made of leaves by David Budd, Anne Elliot and Jenny Simpson. 6 Cherry Blossom at the Royal Edinburgh. 7 Take a walk down to the Growing Plots to see this year’s new growth.
6.30 – 8.00pm Live music at the Hive from On The Wheelbarrow including a film screening about bees.
All day Tom the Gardener will be giving expert gardening advice all day – don’t miss out on this! Please contact Artlink in advance to book an advice session with Tom, ext. 46127.
3.30 – 4.30pm Poetry readings at the Glasshouses. Organized by Ronnie Jack in association with the Patients’ Council – sit back, relax and enjoy the pleasures of poetry. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thursday 31st March
10.00am – 12.00pm Market Place at the Glasshouses. Come along to browse stalls from the Master Composters, Bridgend Allotments and BTCV amongst others. Information, seeds and pots of herbs available. 12.00 – 1.00pm The Growing Competition is back! Will yours be the tallest sunflower? Will you be the one to cultivate the tastiest tomato? The launch is taking place at the Glasshouses so come and get some seeds and let’s get growing. 12.00 – 1.00pm Picnic Lunch at the Glasshouses. Come rain or shine! Drop by with your own packed lunch. Artlink will provide coffee, tea and juice. 1.30 – 3.30pm Spring planting. Make beautiful hanging baskets for your ward or office or pot up a Mother’s Day present. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
FRIday 1st APRIL
2.00 – 3.30pm Afternoon film screening at the Glasshouses. Grow Your Own (2007) is a British comedy directed by Richard Laxton. The film centres around a group of gardeners at a Merseyside allotment. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
plus... SATURday 2ND APRIL
11.00am – 4pm Springtime Blitz in the growing Plots. Come along and help us get the plots ready for planting. Please bring a picnic lunch.
4 | The Morningside Mirror | 03.11 11
12
11 View of the Glasshouses by night. 12 Ornamental Brassica. 13 Lanterns. 14 Bannermaking in the Glasshouses. 15 Glasshouses cafe. 16 Jim at the Garden Club.
Glasshousesa-go-go! 13
15
14
In the last issue of the Morningside Mirror we told you all about our plans for the Glasshouses. On 16th December we opened our doors for a festive event with music, a display of artefacts from the Royal Edinburgh’s own temporary Museum, sale of handmade aprons and tea towels, film projections, lantern-making and of course lighting up the Glasshouses! It was a great success (especially the cupcakes courtesy of Loopy Lorna’s!) and a fantastic end to 2010. Now that we’re up and running we want you to get involved with this year’s programme. There are many ways that you can take part:
16
We have weekly art drop-in sessions on Tuesday mornings and Wednesday afternoons. Come along and we’ll work with you to bring out your creative talents. If you are a dab hand at working with fabric then why not come along to banner making workshops. We’re currently running a Thursday morning group to create new banners for different groups in the Royal Edinburgh – let us know if you would like to get involved. On Thursday afternoons you can roll up your sleeves and get stuck in at Gardening Club. This is already a huge hit - we’ve had lots of help with weeding, digging and planting for the new growing season, but there’s always lots to do, so the more the merrier! The Glasshouses is for everyone in the Royal Edinburgh community so please feel free to give us a call if you want to find out more about the activities we’re running and if you want to take part. We’re also open to ideas for new projects and would love to hear from you. Did you know that you can book the Glasshouses meeting space for your own meetings?
come along
Why not come down to the Glasshouses for a change of scenery? For all enquiries contact Artlink on ext. 46127 or email glasshouses@ artlinkedinburgh.co.uk
6 | The Morningside Mirror | 03.11
THE ROYAL EDINBURGH’S GOT TALENT
Notes from the Patients’ Council
The Royal Edinburgh Hospital Patients’ Council was grateful to receive funding for one year to enable it to extend its work within collective advocacy in the Care of Older Adults and Children & Adolescent Mental Health Services. Patients, carers and staff have seen the benefits that collective advocacy can bring by: empowering patients to express their views; increasing patients’ levels of confidence and engagement; nipping problems in the bud; improving patients’ experience on wards; assisting staff to get things done to improve the ward environment; identifying common themes and passing these on to management.
GET IN TOUCH
If you know of a talented individual at the Royal Edinburgh that you would like to nominate to be featured in the next issue of The Morningside Mirror please contact Artlink on ext. 46127 or email ciara@artlinkedinburgh.co.uk 17
We really appreciate the comments we have received from patients and carers about the value they place on our work. They have told us:
“Thank you for listening.”
Members of staff also value the work we do:
POETRY CORNER Poem selected for this edition of the Morningside Mirror by Beth Thomson, Voluntary Services Manager at the Royal Edinburgh.
“It couldn’t have happened without you.”
“I think your input is very valuable.”
COME ALONG
Visit the poetry corner at the REH Library to read more...
The Song of Wandering Aengus by William Butler Yeats
Let’s give the last word to our volunteers, themselves service users, who bring a unique perspective to our work:
“It’s been very good for me – I feel valued. I see it as my job.” We hope that funding for this part of out work will be found to allow us to continue this work, building on our good relationships with patients, carers and staff, and the new ways of working we have developed.
FIND OUT MORE
For more information about the Patients’ Council call 537 6462 or email info@patientscouncilreh.org.uk The next Patients’ Council meeting will take place from 2.00 – 3.30pm on Monday 28th March in the Hive.
19
This year at the Royal Edinburgh we’re celebrating the many talented people who make up the Hospital community. We’re currently working with artists Jeanette Bell and Simon Guest to produce new artworks for a Royal Edinburgh’s Got Talent exhibition in the Link Gallery later this year, and in this edition of the Morningside Mirror you can find out more about the talents of people working in the Hospital. We hope that you’ll be as inspired by their achievements as we are.
from Maggie McIvor, Development Worker
“I think what you do is wonderful.”
18
I went out to the hazel wood, Because a fire was in my head, And cut and peeled a hazel wand, And hooked a berry to a thread; And when white moths were on the wing, And moth-like stars were flickering out, I dropped the berry in a stream And caught a little silver trout. When I had laid it on the floor I went to blow the fire aflame, But something rustled on the floor, And someone called me by my name: It had become a glimmering girl With apple blossom in her hair Who called me by my name and ran And faded through the brightening air. Though I am old with wandering Through hollow lands and hilly lands, I will find out where she has gone, And kiss her lips and take her hands; And walk among long dappled grass, And pluck till time and times are done The silver apples of the moon, The golden apples of the sun.
17 Pippa Cochran the triathlete. 18 Dave Boyd the DJ and record producer. 19 Dave Boyd at T in the Park. 20 Painting by Aileen Corbett.
Do you recognize this cyclist? This is Pippa Cochran – she works as a dispensary pharmacist here at the Royal Edinburgh. Pippa studied in Manchester, trained in London and then worked for Voluntary Services Overseas in Uganda for two years before moving to Scotland. She first came to Edinburgh as a flat sitter, but now she’s a permanent resident here and has been working at the Hospital for five and half years.
Do you recognize this DJ? This is Dave Boyd, activity organizer at The Hive for the past six years. Tell us about the activities you organize. We do lots of things such as the Hearing Voices group, football group, hip-hop workshops including songwriting, making beats, and making our own CDs, day trips to safari parks, Deep Sea World, go-karting and boat trips. We have something for everyone. What’s your motto? ‘Reputation is the cornerstone of power.’
called Invade the Carnival. It’s going well, it’s being played on Radio 1 by Zane Lowe. Where have you performed? We’ve done a lot of festivals including T in the Park, and we played at the Princes Street party at Hogmanay a couple of years ago. We’ve been to Holland, Belgium and Germany and last year we played in the Bronx in New York – that was amazing. Which living person do you most admire? Serocee, a vocalist that we work with – when he’s performing he always gives it his all, whether it’s 5 people or 5,000.
Tell us about your talent. Pippa’s talent... She’s a I’m into music stuff; I’ve been triathlete! Pippa has taken What is your most treasured DJing and making music for part in Olympic distance possession? My collection about 15 years. I produce triathlons in Barcelona, of hats and trainers (I have records – mainly hip-hop and Edinburgh, Midlothian and no room in my flat because reggae. About 5 years ago my Fife - first swimming 1.5 km, of them). friend Kenny and I put out our then cycling 40 km and finally first album under the name of running 10 km. Pippa says Capitol 1212 and we’ve released Where can we hear your that she hasn’t always been music? athletic and she blames her new a couple of records since then. www.capitol-1212records.com Our most recent album which found talent on her triathlete came out in December 2010 is husband, “It’s my husband’s fault. I would go along to support him and it’s just such Aileen Corbett, what’s your talent? 20 an inspiring environment that Aileen is a particularly dedicated and I thought I should give it a try.” inventive artist who has been painting for 20 years. She produced this bird Her sporting accomplishments painting for the current Let’s Grow! don’t end there. Pippa has Exhibition in the Link Gallery – it’s a also taken part in the Etape great example of her wonderful use Caldedonia which is one of the of color and unique style. UK’s top cycling challenges. The event, which takes cyclists Aileen says that she is always surprised on a 130km route through the by the way her art work turns out. Highlands, raises funds for Sometimes she captures the image just Macmillan Cancer Support. as she sees it and other times it turns When asked why she enjoys the into something she never expected. She loves challenge of triathlons, Pippa expressing herself, viewing the workshops as a break from responded that it’s the diversity her daily routine and the opportunity to spend time with other of the sport that keeps her people with similar talents. interested, “I like doing all three (swimming, cycling, running) – Aileen is a regular contributor to the Open Show, has sold her it means you don’t get bored.” work and regularly attends the Wednesday afternoon Open Group in the Glasshouses Studio.
8 | The Morningside Mirror | 03.11
Come along to the Royal Edinburgh Community Gardens anytime between 10.00am – 4.00pm on Tuesday, Wednesday or Friday. All welcome! We’re currently planting tiny fruit trees and finishing the rabbit fencing. For more information please contact Sean Jacques, the Garden Co-ordinator on 46232 or sean.recg@googlemail.com
Newspaper Club is a service that helps people and communities make their own newspapers. www.newspaperclub.co.uk