The below was taken from a recent creative planning meeting with residents of Tower Bridge Care Home.

 

Rose: “I was a dancer, we weren’t professional, just loved dancing. Waltz, Tango, not the jive so much.”

Francis: “Oh the jive, that takes me back. We were always up the Lyceum. This fella used to take us three at a time dancing jive. I was brought up with music. We had the gramophone, then when we had the hifi that was always on.”

Rose: “It was the radio for us.”

Francis: “You’d never get them days back again. Seven nights a week I was dancing.”

Rose: “I went to Manor Place Baths. It was a swimming pool. On a Saturday they would cover it over and have a dance there. We didn’t go them posh places like the Lyceum.”

 

[The artists present the new fabrics bought this morning]

“Long as you got good bargains, that’s it”

“Go up the old Lyceum with that”

 

What could we do with this in the sessions?

“Nothing.”

“Cushion cover.”

“Hide! Where’d you go?”

“Fold it properly.”

“Could do bed clothes with it, it’d cost you a fortune.”

“You can do whatever you want.”

 

[Sing We’ll Meet Again dancing with the large blue velvet fabric stretched between everyone]

 

“We enjoy whatever you do. Physical exercise, stretching, singing, dancing…”

“Nice to watch.”

“Gets everybody together.”

“I give it a try.”

“Sometimes I wonder if I push you too hard.”

“Ooh no!”

“How do you feel after the sessions?”

“Ooh definitely, I feel happier. Me and Rose have said to one another ‘I really enjoyed that.”

“Otherwise be sat in that corridor.”

“Who wants to be between four walls?”

“You tap your feet, things like that, don’t have to be jive.”

“Keep your hands moving.”

“Sets us up for the week.”

“I’ve got a friend for life here.”

“Well, we’ve only got each other, so that’s it.”

“Oh shurrup you’ll have us all crying in a minute.”

 

[Rainer tells the group how much he loves the sessions]

“I really look forward to it.”

“It’s ageless innit, good music.”