The groups we have connected with up to December 2008 are; The Cottage Project (Town Centre), The Thursday Group (Town Centre), Thorntons Field Dog Walkers (Town Centre). Although these groups are classed as Town Centre groups - the members/participans are residents from the 2 target estates.
Sure Start group - this is based on the Parks Estate (target area) and was unheard of until the beginning of November, they have become on of the core groups to work with. This is expanding to the two public houses on the Parks Estate which will include the elderly male population in a better way, the meeting groups are predominantly female.
In the New Year we will be strengthening these links, running outings and visits as well as continuing with the research and discussion projects as these sessions get the generations talking and understanding eachother. We will also be working to make links more directly with groups on the Whitemoor Estate (target area) from Spring.
Friday 26 December 2008
Intergenerational Conference - London
25th November 2008
I was invited through Derbyshire County Council to attend a National Conference in London around 'Cross Generational Working'. Derbyshire County Council booked and paid for my ticket and my transport. After an early start I arrived at the conference venue to find people representing every county in the country. Presentations were made by Derbyshire, Manchester and Yorkshire about Cross Generation work which is going on in their Counties. I was so impressed and motivated, I didn't realise how much excellent work is going on around the Country, I certainly don't feel so isolated with the projects I intend to run, over the breaks during the day I made some really good contacts ad picked up usefull information.
I was invited through Derbyshire County Council to attend a National Conference in London around 'Cross Generational Working'. Derbyshire County Council booked and paid for my ticket and my transport. After an early start I arrived at the conference venue to find people representing every county in the country. Presentations were made by Derbyshire, Manchester and Yorkshire about Cross Generation work which is going on in their Counties. I was so impressed and motivated, I didn't realise how much excellent work is going on around the Country, I certainly don't feel so isolated with the projects I intend to run, over the breaks during the day I made some really good contacts ad picked up usefull information.
Houses
A session around houses/homes brought up the following discussion points;
Bedrooms and beds; children shared beds 3 0r 4 in a double bed sleeping head to toe.
Toilet facilities were outside often at the bottom of the garded or across the yard, not flushing toilets but a hole in the ground with a board over to sit on in some cases. Toilet paper was sheets of torn up newspaper hanging on a nail in the toilet door. at night often a 'potty' was kept under the bed and emptied in the morning. This thought horrified the young people in the group.
There were no bathrooms, a bath was a tin bath put in front of the fire and filled with hot water which had to be boiled on the stove or on the fire, there was no running hot water. One bath full of water would do the whole family! Again the young people were horrified - they just couldnt imagine life without showers or hot water straight fom the tap.
Coal fires were the means of heating and also often cooking. Kitchen sinks were white ceramic large and deep.
There were no automatic washing machines, washing was done by hand in a big tub then wrung out using a mangle (explained by an elderly gentleman as two rollers and a handle, he told a story about getting his fingers squashed in the mangle).
There were no fridges, food was bought fresh and not saved very often. Vinegar and salt were used as preservatives. Houses had a 'larder' to store any food (a small room adjoining the kitchen) usually with a marble slab to keep foods cool.
Bedrooms and beds; children shared beds 3 0r 4 in a double bed sleeping head to toe.
Toilet facilities were outside often at the bottom of the garded or across the yard, not flushing toilets but a hole in the ground with a board over to sit on in some cases. Toilet paper was sheets of torn up newspaper hanging on a nail in the toilet door. at night often a 'potty' was kept under the bed and emptied in the morning. This thought horrified the young people in the group.
There were no bathrooms, a bath was a tin bath put in front of the fire and filled with hot water which had to be boiled on the stove or on the fire, there was no running hot water. One bath full of water would do the whole family! Again the young people were horrified - they just couldnt imagine life without showers or hot water straight fom the tap.
Coal fires were the means of heating and also often cooking. Kitchen sinks were white ceramic large and deep.
There were no automatic washing machines, washing was done by hand in a big tub then wrung out using a mangle (explained by an elderly gentleman as two rollers and a handle, he told a story about getting his fingers squashed in the mangle).
There were no fridges, food was bought fresh and not saved very often. Vinegar and salt were used as preservatives. Houses had a 'larder' to store any food (a small room adjoining the kitchen) usually with a marble slab to keep foods cool.
Food and shops
This section was a spin off from the Clued Up project - it took up a full session on its own.
The questions were; What did you eat, where did you shop, did you have sweets?
There were no supermarkets - corner shops and grocers stores along with the market were the main shopping places. People made their own bread, cooked fresh vegetables - whatever was in season either allotment or local farm grown. During the war there was rationing, when asked what happened if you ran out of something, the answer was simple - you either went without or swapped / borrowed from a neighbour. One young person asked if it made a difference if you were rich, he was told that no difference was there, everyone got the same amount of vouchers, wealthier people could sometimes get extras from the Black Market (which was explained to the group) Sweets were a special treat, bought loose from the grocers shop, they were purchased by the 'farthing' or 'hapenny' and served in a paper bag. * the young people have asked if we can make a money transletor - old pennies to new pence and any memories of prices from older times to compare with todays prices.
There were no take away food places or fast food places (chip shops were around though) the young people could not comprehend life without MacDonalds or Pizzas, - this again will be explored further in the future.
The questions were; What did you eat, where did you shop, did you have sweets?
There were no supermarkets - corner shops and grocers stores along with the market were the main shopping places. People made their own bread, cooked fresh vegetables - whatever was in season either allotment or local farm grown. During the war there was rationing, when asked what happened if you ran out of something, the answer was simple - you either went without or swapped / borrowed from a neighbour. One young person asked if it made a difference if you were rich, he was told that no difference was there, everyone got the same amount of vouchers, wealthier people could sometimes get extras from the Black Market (which was explained to the group) Sweets were a special treat, bought loose from the grocers shop, they were purchased by the 'farthing' or 'hapenny' and served in a paper bag. * the young people have asked if we can make a money transletor - old pennies to new pence and any memories of prices from older times to compare with todays prices.
There were no take away food places or fast food places (chip shops were around though) the young people could not comprehend life without MacDonalds or Pizzas, - this again will be explored further in the future.
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