CONFUSION
- 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, WHERE YOU GOING TO SIT?
HEY YOU
SIT HERE
- THE ARRIVAL -
OH HERE
OH GOOD THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO SIT HERE
- THE ARRIVAL -
DON’T DON’T DON’T EXPECT ANYTHING OF ME
I’M NOT YOUR BROTHER I’M YOUR SON
- THE FAMILY -
RON?
SON?
I WANT TO TALK TO MY BROTHER
SON?
YES
RON?
I CAN’T THINK
WHY WHICH BROTHER DID YOU THINK I WAS THEN?
- THE FAMILY -
THIS IS BLOODY AWKWARD ISN’T IT
WHY?
DON
- THE DISCOMFORT -
I’M LYING DOWN I CAN’T THINK LOOK AT THIS
ON’T DON’T GO SOFT ON ME NOW
I’M NOT SOFT - THE DISCOMFORT -
WHO’S MY OTHER BUDDY? - THE STRANGER -
IN HERE ERM I’M NOT SURE
DON’T REMEMBER WHERE THE HELL YOU’RE FROM I’M YOUR GRANDSON
YES I KNOW
YES
FUNNY OLD WORLD ISN’T IT - THE STRANGER -
SWEET
I LIKE IT
NO MILK
- THE COFFEE -
I LIKE IT SWEET
SWEET DARLING HE LIKES IT SWEET I SAY DICKY LIKES IT SWEET
NO SUGAR HOW DID YOU GET HERE?
- THE COFFEE -
ILL SHOW Y OU MY FILTH Y HANDS L
OOK
MY MOTHERS HANDS ARE LIKE THIS AS WELL
- THE HANDS -
SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE RAIN IN THE BACK YARD OR SOMETHING
IT BOUNCES OFF YOUR HANDS
- THE HANDS -
WHERE’S SHE’S NOT HERE WITH US TODAY
JUST US
SHE’S OUT THERE IS SHE?
OH IS THAT JILL ? WHAT? NO MUMS NOT HERE TODAY BUT SHE WILL BE COMING EARLY NEXT WEEK
- THE WIFE -
JILL THEN? NO THAT’S NOT NO
NO JILLS NOT HERE
JILL!
YOU
SAY SHE’S NOT
THAT’S
NOTJILL?
HERE DAD
JILL IS NOT HERE? - THE WIFE -
HERE, IN HERE MANY YEARS AGO
WE USED TO COME HERE TO TALK OF MURDER AND WAR STORIES
THIS IS A WAR CRY OF THE PAST MANY YEARS AGO?
- THE FLASHBACK -
MANY YEARS AGO YES WHEN I WAS HERE WE WERE ALWAYS TALKING BATTLES TALKING BATTLES?
YOU DIDN’T SAY YOU WEREN’T IN BATTLE YOU’D KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT - THE FLASHBACK -
I REMEMBER WALKING DOWN IN THE PITS CUTTING THE COAL OUT AND ALL THAT AND THINKING YOURSELF AS A MAN
A MANS JOB
YOU KNOW
AND 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!
- THE MEMORIES -
DO YOU REMEMBER THE WAR?
OH LORD SORT OF I WAS A SOLDIER OF COURSE I WAS A SOLDIER IN THE WAR YOU WERE ON A BIKE
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
- THE MEMORIES -
IT’S A SPRINGLESS NIGHT IN A SMALL TOWN STARLESS
NO I CAN’T I CAN’T THEY ARE NOT FAMILIAR ANY MORE
- THE LINES -
AND THE RABBITS WOOD LIMPING
INVISIBLE DOWN TO THE SLOW BLACK,
THE HOUSES
ARE AS BLIND AS MOLES CROW
BLACK THOUGH MOLES SEE FINE TONIGHT FISHING BOAT IN THE SNOUTING, VELVET DINGLES BOBBING SEA
OR BLIND AS CAPTAIN CAT
THERE 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 LINES -
YOU LIVE HERE
I HAVEN’T BEEN HERE BEFORE I’VE ONLY JUST COME
THERE’S MY GIRLFRIEND OVER THERE TAKE ME HOME SHE’S GOT A BIKE
GOT A BIKE?
- THE LIFT HOME -
GOT A CAR? CAN YOU TAKE ME HOME IN A CAR? GLEN WILL TAKE ME HOME IN A CAR MY LEGS ARE WORN OUT
- THE LIFT HOME -
- 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 -
BY IOAN R DAVIES
WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?
- WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE -