Confusion

Page 1

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 -


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