 History, Health and Hope
by Carolyn Barber At the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the armistice was signed which formally ended hostilities of the First World War in 1918. This coming weekend marks Remembrance Sunday, held in the United Kingdom as a day to commemorate the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts. Of course, the casualties that are often forgotten are those who experienced serious mental ill-health as a result of their military service, and also ordinary people caught up in traumatic events through these conflicts. It seems a fitting time to announce the launch of a new project from the Good Mental Health Cooperative - Stories from the Borough of Portsmouth Mental Asylum during the Great War 1914-1918. So how can the history of mental health care in the First World War help promote good mental health and hope in the present day? Especially in these challenging times when many people are experiencing the psychological as well as physical impact of the pandemic. Here are three reasons to seek out stories from the past: History tells us who we are - the stories of local people and institutions gives us fascinating insights into what the Portsmouth community and culture was like 100 years ago, and how that has influenced our city today. History helps us understand change - mental health care at the Asylum (later St.James Hospital) is a very significant part of Portsmouth's social history. The First World War had a huge impact on how mental health care developed - a legacy which can still be seen in today's services. History gives us perspective - telling people's personal stories, especially those that are hidden from view, helps to shine a light into some dark corners of social history, and frees people to tell their own stories. The project is in two stages - the first will be an online research group supporting each other to research different aspects of mental health care during the First World War, including the stories of people staying or working in the Portsmouth asylum. The second stage is for people to get involved in creative activities - drama, poetry and art - giving expression to the stories and history uncovered by the research. This will form the basis of a multi-media presentation featuring the work of the whole project. Click here if you're interested in finding out more about this project And scroll down for links to two online events looking at the history of local mental health care, and introducing our new project ....... SATURDAY, 21 NOVEMBER 10.30am on Zoom "ABOVE ALL A PATIENT SHOULD NEVER BE TERRIFIED" An examination of mental health care and treatment in Hampshire from 1845 - 1914 - a talk by Dr.Diane Carpenter Click here for more information and to book your place SATURDAY 5 DECEMBER 10.30am on Zoom "100 Years of Mental Health Care in Hampshire" - a talk and readings with Carolyn Barber, Maggie Sawkins and Pip Firth Click here for more information and to book your place
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Creative Options Wednesday 11th November 2020 Quiz Questions
1. Today is the anniversary of the end of the First World War, known as Armistice Day or Remembrance Day. In which year did WW1 end? 2. A starfish has how many arms? 3. In what city would you find the Colosseum? 4. It is Leonard di Caprio’s 46th birthday today. Which film links him to Southampton? 5. What are granny, reef and slip examples of? 6. What do the initials PTO indicate at the bottom of a page? 7. What is the name of the actress that is celebrating her 56th birthday today, who famously played Molly in the film Ghost? 8. Also from the film Ghost, which song by the Righteous Brothers was at number one on this day in 1990? 9. Basmati and pilaf are varieties of what? 10. It is National School Meals Week. Which footballer has been campaigning to make sure that children who need free school meals, still get them during the school holidays? Is it (a) Jesse Lingard, (b) Paul Pogba, or (c) Marcus Rashford? 11. Which American politician was declared the president-elect of the United States last weekend? 12. How many spaces are there in a noughts-and-crosses frame? 13. Which flower’s petals are steeped in water to create the traditional flavouring for Turkish delight? 14. On which planet was Matt Damon’s character stranded in a 2015 film? 15. According to the famous saying, how many lives does a cat have? Creative Options Wednesday 11th November 2020 Quiz Answers
1. 1918 2. Five 3. Rome 4. Titanic 5. Knots 6. Please turn over 7. Demi Moore 8. Unchained Melody 9. Rice 10. Marcus Rashford 11. Joe Biden 12. Nine 13. Rose 14. Mars 15. Nine |
