Here you can view films, photographs and artwork and read poems showcased on Something for the Weekend, and find links to websites and online events mentioned on the show. (You can watch the whole shows here). The content is usually listed in the order it appears on the show. This page is updated on Friday afternoons and should be complete by 6pm. We’d love to see any poems, arts and crafts you have created at home using the same themes or activities: info@together2012.org.uk
Click on any photo to see a larger version.
28 October 2021
Dressing Up to Go Out to Stay In Julie and Ju dressed up for the Regard LGBTQI+ Halloween and Celtic New Year social, taking place on Sunday 31 October from 3-5pm. (Email secretary@regard.org.uk for free tickets). Tracy dressed up to run a recycled paper craft workshop (see Join in with Tracy below). Robin dressed up for International Stress Awareness Week events – see The Week Ahead below for details and links.
Poems from the Together! 2012 Pop-Up Poetry Club Theme: ‘Sunshine through the window’. Next week’s theme is ‘plastic waste’. Find out more here about how to join the Club, which takes place on Wednesday mornings from 10.30am-12 noon by phone (we call you and pay the costs). Or join in from home – we’d love to see your poems if you do: info@together2012.org.uk
Crystal Peasy: Sunshine
Sun shines through the windows
You can see a shadow through the window
And when it’s sunny, daffodils come out.
I like the sunshine very much
Although when I go out the sun shines on my eyes
And I close my eyes
And the sun shines like a diamond.
Our body needs sunshine
And it warms your blood
We get a lot of health benefits from the sunshine.
You can also get skin damage from the sunshine
If you are not using sunscreen for protection.
Glory Sengo: The Sunshine
The sunshine is on everyone
Who likes chips
The sunshine is on everyone
Who likes swimming
The sunshine is on everyone
Who likes going out to the beach
The sunshine is on everyone
Who likes burgers
The sunshine is on everyone
Who likes chicken
The sunshine is on everyone
Who likes Teletubbies
The sunshine is on everyone
Who likes Tweenies.
Dwain Bryan: Sunshine Through My Window
The sun beams through my window
With a blistering light
And it’s so strong
I nearly lose my sight.
It gives the room a bright shade
And the light is brave
It must be summertime
And the sun lights up my mind.
Through this summer day.
It gives you this wonderful shade
The sun has come out as it usually does
And it feels comfortable
Like the quilt I hug.
It’s not really a hot day
But the sun is out
As it shines through my window
I guess that’s what the sun is all about.
We all know the sun shines bright
And we all know it’s in our sight
We feel the burn
We feel the heat.
The sun burns with a strong heat
And it can leave us sweating
You can dehydrate or faint
The sun comes out with a blistering heat.
But at times it leaves a rainbow
You just might want to meet.
Dawn Barber: Sun Through The Window
Hello sun you are here again shining on my window
The light looks so beautiful
You’re healing my heart and soul, I love you sun
I feel you on my whole body
From my feet right up to my body to my head
You light up my world
I hope you will stay for a while
To make me smile.
Alison Marchant: Sunlight Through A Window
Light streams through
The window to my side
Small particles of otherwise
Unseen swirling dust
Catch the light
Settling on the desktop before me
A gentle warmth
Light cast and reflected behind me
Like a square patch of gold leaf
On the lower section of the door
Dazzling light catches my gaze
And sparkles
A fragment of a sunny day
In autumn sunlight.
Julie Newman: Sunlight Through the Window
Soft, gentle early dawn
Lightens the sky.
Red streaks become
Orange and yellow.
Sharp against the blues
And purples with the rising sun.
Light written large in the window,
Brings sunlight through the glass.
Dawn fades and the day moves on.
Time becomes measured with shadows,
Until with a flash, a shaft of reflected light
Halts the vision of the joyous morn.
In that second, motion stops.
White light floods the world.
Like Mercury, silver touching
Every angle of sight. Nothing then
Shows until the magician’s fingers
Snap, and the colours return.
Kate Rolison: Sun Burn
The ducks fly over the fence to jostle and shove in the two feet by one foot pond
Our neighbour pulls up the ragwort
To dye her cloth
The old dog bathes in a patch of sunlight, breathing heavily
Limbs outstretched
Rare sunshine after days of rain
Soon we will walk to the beach
Comb for cowries
Shriek at the cold water,
Then swim out to the buoys
And back again
This time we’ve used sun screen
But I remember all the blisterings of my childhood
When I’d disappear to the beach with my cousins
Inventing games with shells and seaweed for hours
Barely noticing our burnt skin
‘Til it was too late.
Together! 2012 Art Club The Art Club runs a still-life session on Zoom from 11-12 every Friday morning: click on the photo to view a larger version and join in from home. We’d love to see your pictures: send them to info@together2012.org.uk Click here to find out how to join the Art Club.
- Safiyya
- Lee Brooker
- Kate Rolison
- Crystal Peasy
The Art Club also runs a Make and Natter session on Zoom from 11-12 every Tuesday morning. Bring along your own work, or join in with inclusive recycled craft activities – we have just started salt dough modelling. Click here to find out how to join the Art Club and go to Join in with Tracy for instructions about salt dough modelling.
- Saffiya has painted her first salt dough models.
- Duncan Bridgstock is continuing with his series of collages from recycled card.
- Crystal Peasy is creating a pom-pom installation using cardboard circles and scrap wool.
Join in with Tracy: Paper Coil art. (See Join in with Tracy from 14 October below to see how to make the paper rolls.)
- To do this you need scrap paper, scissors, backing card/paper, pencil, glue (preferably liquid), and a paint brush. Cut your scrap paper into lots of thin strips, trying to keep them roughly the same width, plus a few wider strips for creating rolls.
- Create lots and lots of coils, and some long rolls.
- Draw the outline of the shape (in this case an owl) that you wish to create.
- Make the outside of the owl shape using the rolls and then fill in the space as you want to create the body of the image.
- Stick your paper shapes into place using your glue. Remember to allow time for them to dry.
- Now create the base with more coils.
The Clockwork Paralimpics To join in at home, pick the toy on the right side or the left side of the screen to support before you start the video.
The Week Ahead
Ju recommends…
Sing Along to Live Music from the 60s and 70s with Paul. Every Sunday 8-9pm. Free. Online. Paul has been entertaining Londoners in bars, pubs and clubs for over 40 years, and invites everyone to join him to sing along to folk, blues and popular music hits. Further details and booking link here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sing-along-to-live-music-from-the-60s-and-70s-with-paul-tickets-158876452747
Opening the Book: Working in Design. 5-6pm Monday 1 November 2021. Free. Online. Organised by the publishers Hachette, this is one of a series of events aimed at people who want to enter a career in publishing, this one focussed on design careers. Includes tips and insights and a live Q&A. Further details and booking link here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/opening-the-book-working-in-design-tickets-177872590707
‘How to Seed Earth’: an evening of ecopoetry with Poetry London. 5-6pm Thursday 4 November 2021. In the opening week of the COP26 Climate Change Conference, Poetry London is excited to host an evening of readings and discussions with three of the most vital contemporary voices in this field: Khairani Barokka, Maria Sledmere, and Zakia Carpenter-Hall. Further details and booking link here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-to-seed-earth-an-evening-of-ecopoetry-with-poetry-london-tickets-196583525617
Black British Artists & Political Activism: Introduction. 6.30-8pm Thursday 4 November 2021. Free. Online. The first in a series of public lectures organised by the Paul Mellon Centre (ending on 9 December), introduced by Elizabeth Robles. Further details and booking link here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/black-british-artists-political-activism-introduction-tickets-184944773797
Julie recommends…
Autumn Watch 2021 has returned to BBC2, and is running from 26-29 October at 8pm. However it is possible to catch up with the episodes on the Autumn Watch website, and also to see the streams from the live cameras, as well as features on a range of creatures and birds: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0079t1p
The Paralympic Ceremony piece choreographed by Sadec Waff celebrating the Paris Paralympics 2024 is featured in a YouTube video. This short video is a wonderful piece with wheelchair users creating a synchronised ballet featuring their hands and arms. To view it go to: https://youtu.be/XCdsIkQqAmE
The Great British Bake Off is currently being shown on Channel 4 on a Tuesday at 8pm, with a spin off on Channel 4 on Friday at 8pm, featuring Jo Brand. There is a website with a link directly to the Channel 4 site to watch previous programmes. There are also background stories for the bakers and the recipes featured on the programmes: https://thegreatbritishbakeoff.co.uk/news/
Robin recommends…
Seasick. Belgrade Theatre Coventry. 29 October 3pm. Free online via direct link (donations welcome). Live £3. Seasick is an cross-genre work of music and spoken word, bringing together searing poetry and earnest dialogue, anchored by ethereal songs of the sea. In that strange limbo between waking and sleep, a chronically ill young woman is haunted by a mysterious siren song. From her bed, she tries to piece together the meaning of a life marred by an incurable illness and a strange new connection with the sea: https://www.belgrade.co.uk/events/seasick/
On The Shoulders of Kali. Free. Online anytime. To mark 30 years of championing South Asian women writers across the British theatre landscape, Kali Theatre held a symposium on 24 June to explore key issues facing women writers of South Asian descent. What issues did we face 30 years ago? What has changed? Has enough changed? What are the current issues we must contend with? The symposium is now available to watch online and is a must for anyone interested in progressive theatre and writing: https://kalitheatre.co.uk/symposium/
Private Plays. 28 – 31 October 2021. Free. Online anytime. Private Plays are unique theatre encounters created for autistic people – although anyone can read and enjoy them. You are both the audience and the performer where you will read illustrated performance scripts individually, to yourself, in your home. The illustrations and the location – which works as a set – spark the imagination: https://disabilityarts.online/events/mainspring-arts-presents-private-plays-online/
Tracy recommends…
For International Stress Awareness Week
We The Medicine – Healing Your Inner Child. Every Saturday 7pm. Free. Online. This weekly meditation class is open for anyone that wishes to learn new tools and skills to help empower themselves, and will be teaching various tools to help empower you and keep yourself calm in amongst the noise and chaos. You will learn ancient Vedic meditations, breath work, EFT Tapping. Hypnosis Inductions & Havening Techniques to calm your central nervous systems: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/we-the-medicine-healing-the-inner-child-tickets-167676981365?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch&keep_tld=1
Health and Happiness Workshop. Free. Online. 7pm on alternate Mondays from 1 November onwards.This free workshop from The Art of Living will help you build your own collection of unique tools and techniques which help combat stress accumulated in our daily, modern life. Through breathing techniques and meditation taught in this workshop, hopefully you can build a lighter mood and feel energetic and enthusiastic to take on life: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/health-and-happiness-workshop-tickets-115874570961?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch&keep_tld=1
Balance Meditation & Sleep. App for iPhone and Android. Free for the first year then £69 p.a. This is a great app particularly if you have trouble relaxing or sleeping. Very simple to use, the app adapts to your usage and your mind adapts to the meditation. We use this nearly every night.
And finally…
Robin interviews singer-songwriter Angharad about her work and she shares her new single.
21 October 2021
Dressing Up to Go Out to Stay In Julie dressed up for Apple Day; Ju dressed up to go to a US-based online event about Disabled people in the film industry; Tracy dressed up to celebrate the new My Little Pony film; and Robin dressed up for an online Jam. Details of all of these events are below in The Week Ahead.
Poems from the Together! 2012 Pop-Up Poetry Club Theme: ‘Self-Portrait: A Poem About Me’. Next week’s theme is ‘Sunshine through the window’. Find out more here about how to join the Club, which takes place on Wednesday mornings from 10.30am-12 noon by phone (we call you and pay the costs). Or join in from home – we’d love to see your poems if you do: info@together2012.org.uk
Dwain Bryan: Self Portrait
If you look at my frame you will see
My mother and me
And also members of my family tree
With a big smile on my face
And a cheeky grin
Oh those days what joy they bring
And part of the frame has been seriously broke
And I’m trying to keep up the hope
You can remember the photo from back in the day
With family members, friends on the day
Flash, flash, flash goes the cameras
And they light up in your face
Sometimes you think you’re a star
And people may think who you are
You all gather around
At the front of the camera
And you all try to fit in
Oh in my mind what joy it brings.
Crystal Peasy: About Me
My favourite colours are pink and purple
I also like all the bright colours
I have a very bright face
And my clothes are bright colours
I haven’t got many light colours
I have all bright colours
All my shoes are glittery
I don’t like plain shoes
I like short hair
And the colour of my hair is red.
Glory Sengo: About Me
I like chips
I like Wood Green
Where I would like to live in the future
My favourite colour is light blue for the Victoria Line.
Dawn Barber: Dawn
I’m Dawn
I’m a kind person
I like to help people when they are not well
or if they have a problem
I like to put on a bit of make-up
And to wear nice clothes
And I love my face cream and perfume
I love animals
They mean the world to me
There are times when my depression gets the better of me
But I try to keep busy with my hobbies
And still try to have a laugh with people
I’ve got some strong ways
And I’ve got to hold onto that
I hope that someday some doors will open up for me
So I can get stronger.
Blake Jarrette Gibbons: Abnormal Me/ What’s Normal?
I am me, I am OK not being OK. What do you see?A part of my journey, come and join me.
You see me in a moment, or maybe you hear me or feel me without even realising it’s me, don’t judge until you know. You never know someone fully, bear that in mind.
Confession: I’m not simple, but neither am I super-complicated. Look out, here I come, not always bold, yes I can be, but this, this is me.
I listen to all sorts from other people (sometimes wishing they be quiet instead) down to the most therapeutic of sounds. I can’t see great detail without my glasses but when I have them I try to see everything in detail.
Oh you BEAUTY, the bus to take me home after a long day that’s flowed into night, after a day of adventure. Today it was in this city. Maybe I be out of London soon and be using a different form of transport. I be out of London next week for a birthday present, but in this moment, I’m sat thinking on the bus: I at times don’t love myself enough, but that’s me in that moment. I know me, I know I’m far far far from Normal, I’m probably further away from normal than there is distance from us on earth to the Milky Way. How much further on this bus? Oh that went quick, next stop is me, time to get off.
Looking up at the night sky, a dark blue, maybe I soon will be dancing in the moonlight, singing a song by the same name, but now we be dancing in the street. The streetlight pole, not the cleanest thing to be dancing with, but hey it’s OK. Home bound.
Yeah I’m abnormal, medically and all, you have been warned, but will you still love me the same? If I’m too normal life’s too boring. I’m off to have fun, abnormal me. Walking out now a new day, loving the weather, Mother Nature what are you planning today? I’m off on another adventure, another journey, care to join me?
There’s another normal lad. I hope you not talking about me! Who? Me? Abnormal me, oh yeah I blend in and won’t always stand out like a sore thumb. This is me.
Kate Rolison: Chanterelles
Searching amongst the birches
For a glimpse of golden chanterelles
Overdressed as ever, but in walking boots
Mud on my tights, my skirt
Delighting in every glimpse of mushroom
Tenderly carrying the spoils home
To cook with butter, cream, wine, garlic, herbs
Everything is easy, and who
Would’ve thought I could be this happy again?
It’s about to be autumn – a season for swaddling myself in velvets, wool, tweed
The clamour of summer almost over
The other walkers fewer
The sun clear and bright and the leaves turning
And me digging in, burrowing down like the mycelium
In for the long haul.
Julie Newman: Self Portrait
Paint me with a wash that fills the paper
Like Vincent, make the colours, blue and grey
Then think of the sea, and add white foam
The signs of tides, flowing with the moon.
Mountains add some browns and blacks
With stark lines to show deep crevices
Then splashes of green and yellow
Trees and plants bowing with the wind.
A night sky gives Aurora Borealis
Swirling across the ionosphere with
Patterns, ill-defined from horizon to horizon
Greens and blues uniting earth and space.
Waters lap at the edge of consciousness
Seas full of movement call with a deep nostalgia
For life so primeval, untainted by tribal greed
Singing with oceans, and playing with winds.
Alison Marchant: Self-Portrait
(A cut up from John Ashberry’s 12 page poem ‘Self-Portrait in a Convex
Mirror’ and my own additions)
A reflection of which the portrait is once removed
How far can it swim through my eyes
In a gaze of tenderness, amusement, and regret
In the silence of the studio she considers
Lifting a pencil to the self-portrait
The mirror organises everything
In the background the room contains a flow
In the rose-patterned wallpaper
Like an hour glass
The growing up of days around a life.
Together! 2012 Art Club The Art Club runs a still-life session on Zoom from 11-12 every Friday morning: click on the photo to view a larger version and join in from home. We’d love to see your pictures: send them to info@together2012.org.uk Click here to find out how to join the Art Club.
- Safiyya
- Lee Brooker
- Dwain Bryan
- Crystal Peasy
- Cheryl Mclennan
The Art Club also runs a Make and Natter session on Zoom from 11-12 every Tuesday morning. Bring along your own work, or join in with inclusive recycled craft activities – we have just started salt dough modelling. Click here to find out how to join the Art Club and go to Join in with Tracy for instructions about salt dough modelling.
Join in with Tracy: Make a figure from recycled paper. (See Join in with Tracy from 14 October below to see how to make the paper straws.)
- To make this you need scissors, enough scrap paper to create 20+ paper straws with some to spare, liquid glue and glue pot, a paint brush and cotton thread.
- Create a cross with two of the paper straws, then bend six more in half before fold three of these over either side of the cross.
- Gather the ends of the folded straws and then wrap, tighten and tie a length of cotton, wool or string towards the bottom of the gather to create your figure’s waist.
- Build up your figure’s head by wrapping and shaping pieces of wastepaper and gluing them together – a little like papier-mâché. Allow the glue to dry before proceeding.
- To create the bottom half of your figure, build up a skirt of paper straws by adding and gluing each one at a time and working your way around until you are happy with the size of the skirt. You may need to take breaks to allow the glue to harden.
- Make a couple of wider straws, flatten them and then glue and wrap these around the middle of the figure to create a broad waistband and help keep the skirt pieces in place.
- Flat and wrap a couple of thin straws just below the arms to create a top, and bend the arms halfway as elbows. Wrap a thin roll around the head to create a head scarf (optional)
- Trim the skirt to all the same length to create a steady base.
- Tracy’s final figure.
Join in with Sterre: Print with apples
The Clockwork Paralimpics To join in at home, pick the toy on the right side or the left side of the screen to support before you start the video.
The Week Ahead
Ju recommends…
Weekly Global Jam for people with guitars, ukeleles and a wide range of other instruments. 7pm Sundays. Free. Online. This is an open friendly group that wants to welcome a more diverse membership, and is ideal for people who want to make music together, including people who have never played as part of a group before and beginners. Further details and booking link here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/free-online-jam-open-mic-guitars-ukes-etc-tickets-166373691189
‘Happiness, A Mystery’ with crime writer Sophie Hannah and the Wellcome Collection. 6-7pm Monday 25 October. Free. Online. Sophie Hannah’s book ‘Happiness, A Mystery And 66 Attempts to Solve It’ was published by Wellcome Collection in 2020. Sophie will discuss the book and how she has used decades of experience in crime writing and observations from her own life to scrutinise and solve the clues that lead to happiness. This event will be live-streamed on Wellcome Collection’s YouTube channel as well and available to watch afterwards. Further details and booking link here (or just watch the livestream without booking): https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/happiness-a-mystery-tickets-170276494579
Disability Representation On and Off Screen. 8-9pm Wednesday 27 October. Free. Online. A US-based ‘lunch and learn’ (but in our case ‘finish supper first’) event presented by film organisations RespectAbility and Seed&Spark, with Filmshop, The Gotham, In The Cut, and LMU, who invite everyone interested to ‘join us to work toward a more ethical industry!’ Further details and booking link here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/lunchlearn-disability-representation-on-and-off-screen-tickets-186309515777
Julie recommends…
Thursday 21 October is National Apple Day in the UK, with celebrations continuing over the following weekend. Julie suggests either eating an apple or making an apple-based pie or crumble to celebrate. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Daym
Talk about Dorothy Wordsworth. 7.30-9pm Wednesday 27 October. Free. Online. From Grasmere in the Lake District, the home of the Wordsworth siblings.Further details and booking link here: https://wordsworth.org.uk/blog/events/dorothy-writer-sister-friend/
Make a stop-motion film with Lego. YouTube video tutorial. Free. A brief introduction to the easiest form of animation, stop-motion, which Lego collectors will particularly enjoy: https://youtu.be/Q0Lj3ha3XF8
Tracy recommends…
My Little Pony – A New Generation. Available anytime with a Netflix subscription. A great family film, lots of humour suitable for all ages. The world of ponies and unicorns is turned upside down, leading to an adventure across faraway lands as the ponies and their friends to restore balance and harmony to their homeland of Equestria: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10101702/
Frobelles & Frobellemoji – Hair Slay & Fun Play. Free App for iPhone and Android from all app stores & online (in-game purchases & merchandise). Have fun creating hairstyles and outfit combinations with three digital sisters — Coco, Keli and Krista. Recognising the need for more positive images of young Black females, the mother and daughter team that designed this app have created a fantastic platform for designing images. There is also a series of emojis that go with the characters that you can use to bring your messages to life: https://frobelles.com
Robin recommends…
Oliver Twist: At Home – by Ramps On The Moon. Various times 25 October – 20 November. Online. £15 with 48 Hours viewing access. This wonderful filmed stage adaptation of Oliver Twist tells the story of a young boy who escapes the Victorian workhouse only to become involved within a world of urchins, pickpockets and other naughty people. Performed by an inclusive cast with BSL and audio description and captioning creatively woven in to the performance this is a show not to be missed: https://leedsplayhouse.org.uk/events/oliver-twist-at-home/
British Textiles Biennial. Website – Exhibition – Online Films. Although essentially an in-person exhibition, the website contains lots of fascinating photographs and films from the exhibitions. A great range of exhibitions and installations that tell the stories of textiles, across continents, cultures and centuries, and the roles of textiles in fashion, expression and identity: https://britishtextilebiennial.co.uk/films/
The Fashion Chronicles by fashion historian Amber Butchart. Book – Amazon £8.05. The Fashion Chronicles is an exploration of 100 of the most fascinating style stories ever told. From Eve’s fig leaf to Hilary Clinton’s pantsuit, the way we choose to clothe our bodies can carry layer upon layer of meaning. Across cultures and throughout history people have used clothing to signify power and status, to adorn and beautify, even to prop up or dismantle regimes. This fascinating book explores the best-dressed figures in history, from Cleopatra to Beyoncé, Joan of Arc to RuPaul. Some have influenced the fashion of today, while some have used their clothing to change the world. But all have a story to tell: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fashion-Chronicles-stories-historys-dressed/dp/1784723819
And finally… Robin Surgeoner interviews Jaspal Dhani, Chair of the Together! 2012 Community Advisory Board about his work with Disabled people and the role he has played in promoting wheelchair basketball in the UK and India.
14 October 2021
Dressing Up to Go Out to Stay In Ju dressed up to sing sea shanties in New York; Julie dressed up to visit the Repair Shop with some of the things the cats have broken since the pandemic began; and Tracy dressed up to play Project Makeover on her phone (see The Week Ahead below). Robin dressed up for an imaginary Easy Rider convention at the National Association of Disabled Bikers.
Poems from the Together! 2012 Pop-Up Poetry Club Theme: an imaginary character. Plastic waste. Next week’s theme is ‘Self-Portrait: A Poem About Me’. Find out more here about how to join the Club, which takes place on Wednesday mornings from 10.30am-12 noon by phone (we call you and pay the costs). Or join in from home – we’d love to see your poems if you do: info@together2012.org.uk
Crystal Peasy: The Olden Days
The olden days were old-fashioned
In the olden days, there was a lady whose husband was in the army
And in the olden days there was no phone to call him
So she wrote and signed a letter
And the letter took ages to reach him
She was checking the post every morning
And she asked the postman or postlady if they had a letter for her
Her husband replied one year later to the letter he received from his wife
He said I am well and healthy
And the lady was very happy
To have a reply to her letter.
Glory Sengo: The People From Yorkshire
When I was at the seaside
I was swimming in the water
And I was speaking to friends from Yorkshire
And the water in the sea was cold
And we came out of the water
We were wiping ourselves
And were sitting down
And we were talking to each other
And I was greeting my friends from Yorkshire
And we had chicken strips with chips.
Dwain Bryan: The Bird Man
The bird man flies up and down in my mind
Hoovers and glides through the town
Constantly recurring in my dreams
In my mind so free
So beautifully he floats
Through the air
Without a care
Seems like he will never stop
To me he will never not
Why does the bird man always appear in my dreams
Sometimes I wonder what does it all mean?
Is it a sign of freedom?
But still it’s a beautiful dream.
Dawn Barber: I’m Here For You
The rose says to the sunflower
Are you ok
Yes I’m very happy today
How are you
I feel a bit blue
Is that so, that’s a shame
You smell divine and you look beautiful
Please don’t feel sad
I’m here to keep you company
And we will stand together
In a friendship forever.
Alison Marchant: My Name is Alice
My name is Alice
I live in a Lancashire stone terrace
The back window looks onto the now disused
Cotton mill where I once worked.
I started work at fourteen
If you were clever
Or whatever
You had to work there.
It was a bit of a shock the first time I went in
The noise and the dirt and the fluff
We had to lie on the floor to sweep under the looms
And the fluff was deep, deep
Everywhere was covered in fluff
And it stuck to your clothes
I became a weaver amidst
The thundering sound of looms in motion
We learnt sign language
So we could speak to each other
Across the factory floor
I worked for years and luckily am
Very healthy
And the cotton mill closed
But I still live in my terraced house.
Julie Newman: Rumble in the Forest
Mary the elephant thought she was tough.
She stomped as she walked and looked really rough.
Her hair hung in locks, died purple and red,
She had lots of chains draped over her head.
Bright green were her nails, her lips they were black,
A torn denim jacket sat on her back.
The creatures would scatter as she crashed by.
The trees would shudder and birds filled the sky.
The other elephants were embarrassed,
They shrank away and hid in the forest.
No-one would chat, or share cups of tea.
Monkeys would run or cower in a tree.
Jaguars so proud, would stay out of the way,
Nobody liked her or wanted to play.
Mary wandered around, alone and blue.
Then one day a kitten gave out a mew.
The elephant paused, with her foot held high.
What creature was this, what noise was its cry?
The kitten, called Ruth, said, “Please will you help?
I’m lost and alone,” and it gave a big gulp.
Mary looked down and thought, What should I do?
Then smiled and asked, “What creature are you?”
“I’m me,” said the kitten, “Just little me,
But cold and hungry and ready for tea.”
“Hop up,” said Mary, “And we’ll go and see,
Let’s find the cafe that’s based by that tree.”
So up jumped the kitten and held on tight,
While they went to the tree and what a sight!
The tables were laid, food ready to eat.
The plates piled high. Oh what a treat!
So the pair sat down, and eagerly ate.
Sandwiches, cakes, and no crumbs on the plate.
“I loved that,” said Mary, “My, what a feast.
In the whole forest there’s no happier beast.”
Ruth, looked up and smiled, and said, “Me too.
Let’s go home together, just me and you.”
And all of the creatures heaved a big sigh.
Monkeys played in the trees, and birds flew by.
No longer afraid, they relished the sight
Of Ruth so small, sat on Mary’s great height.
Blake Gibbons: Who Is This?
A dreamt-up character, okay this isn’t my own but is a favourite of mine, along with many others from the same place.
Let’s see who can guess who it is first. If it’s not the one and only… Wait, hang on, who are you? You seem to have varying jobs and you work hard but also from time to
time get it very wrong.
Sometimes your stuff is legit, other times it’s far from perfect. Items can vary from suitcases and blow-up dolls to a chandelier-cleaning service.
You have another brother; you also live with your grandfather who somehow lived and served in the war. Your wife drives a green Ford Capri with pink windscreen wipers. You’ve driven a yellow 3-wheel van for many years.
You were written up, just for a bit of fun, but ended up being involved in many hours of giggles in my life and millions of others too. You live south of the river Thames, yet the block you live in is actually north of the Thames.
“Careful Rodders”, you said to your grandfather before, “if you say ‘during the war’ one more time. “Grandad, I wasn’t going to say ‘during the war’, during the 1939-1945 conflict with Germany.” Oh no you didn’t have a happy face on that scene. However, winning against Boyce in poker: “Where did you get them 4 bloody aces from?”
So who have I written about?
If you’ve not guessed already, Derek Trotter aka Del Boy from Only Fools and Horses.
Together! 2012 Art Club The Art Club runs a still-life session on Zoom from 11-12 every Friday morning: click on the photo to view a larger version and join in from home. We’d love to see your pictures: send them to info@together2012.org.uk Click here to find out how to join the Art Club.
- Lee Brooker
- Cheryl Mclennan
- Crystal Peasy
- Saffiya
The Art Club also runs a Make and Natter session on Zoom from 11-12 every Tuesday morning. Bring along your own work, or join in with inclusive recycled craft activities. Click here to find out how to join the Art Club.
Ellen Goodey is creating collages from drawing round kitchen implements, colouring them and cutting them out and mounting them again. This week she also showed her friend Allan how to do it.Join in with Sterre Spell your name with your body and create art from it.
The Clockwork Paralimpics To join in at home, pick the toy on the right side or the left side of the screen to support before you start the video.
The Week Ahead
Ju recommends…
Virtual Sea Shanty Sessions. 7-9pm Sunday 17 October. Online. Free. Sea shanties are favourites at Together! 2012 in recognition of the role that shipbuilding and the Docks played in the development of Newham. Organised by the Noble Maritime Collection and the Folk Music Society of New York, this event is limited to the first 100 people to register on Zoom but will also be streamed to Facebook. Further details and booking link here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-sea-shanty-sessions-tickets-180111407067
Uncovering the History of Black British Mariners. 6.30-7.30pm Tuesday 19 October. Online. Free. From enslaved crewmen to petty officers and even a ship’s captain, Black seamen were a constant presence on Royal Navy ships throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. Join author S.I. Martin to find out why their labour was needed, their diverse origins and how their impact on Black culture and politics resonates to this day. Organised by Brent Cultural Service. Further details and booking link here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/uncovering-the-history-of-black-british-mariners-tickets-169462351455
An evening with author Claire Fuller discussing her book ‘Unsettled Ground’. 7-8pm Wednesday 20 October. Online. Free. Inclusion Barnet and Barnet Libraries presents award-winning author Claire Fuller in conversation with South Friern Library manager Nick Black about her latest novel, including a 15-minute Q&A session with a prize for the best question. ‘Her strongest yet… a powerful, beautiful novel that shows us our land as it really is: a place of shelter and cruelty, innocence and experience’ THE TIMES. Further details and booking link here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-evening-with-author-claire-fuller-discussing-her-book-unsettled-ground-tickets-178523858667.
Julie recommends…
The Repair Shop. 8pm on Wednesdays on BBC 1 or on BBC iPlayer anytime. Free with Licence Fee. Set in the Weald and Downland Living Museum in Singleton, West Sussex, the BBC show features a team of expert repairers who rescue vintage items that are brought in by the public. These items hold some value to the owners, very often nostalgic and relating to childhood memories: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Repair_Shop
The Natural History Museum have an exhibition on the Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2021. As part of the exhibition they have a lot of information on the website about wildlife photography, plus some additional resources on topics associated with this year’s competition. The link to Women Wildlife Photographers is especially interesting: https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2021/october/wildlife-photographer-of-the-year-2021-winning-images.html
The Museum of the City of New York has ongoing resources and exhibitions about the history of New York and contemporary issues. The have a link to an online resource about Black History Month: https://www.mcny.org/movement-black-lives
Historic England have created a free online resource which has mapped the archeological sites in England and give the history of those sites as well as contemporary mapping tools: https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/news/new-virtual-aerial-map-allows-everyone-to-explore-englands-archaeology-from-the-air/
Robin recommends…
Explore The Queens Baton Relay. Free. Online anytime. Last week saw the launch of the Queen’s Commonwealth Baton Relay, and this site allows you to explore the 90,000 mile route the baton will follow, to discover the massive artistic endeavour that went into the design and manufacture of the Baton: https://www.birmingham2022.com/queens-baton-relay/route/
Black History Year – George The Poet. Tuesday 19 October 6.30-7.30pm. Free. Online. Join award winning poet and Podcaster George The Poet as he performs spoken word in his unique style of musical poetry, plus discussion and audience questions. Sure to be very interesting and challenging and well worth attending online. Further details and booking link here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/black-history-year-george-the-poet-tickets-162031068287
How To Write an Album a Year with Ease. Tuesday 19 October 10-11:30am. Free. Online. In this free live webinar, discover four essential tips to songwriting that will change the way you write songs forever and empower you to become the artist you’ve always wanted to be. With over 15,000 songs written using these simple songwriting tips, you will have no more excuses to stay stuck and struggling with songwriting: https://www.nowtv.com/watch/the-nevers/iYEQZ2rcf32XR7zsbTWox3
Tracy recommends…
Project Makeover. Free. Game for Android or Apple smartphones. https://www.projectmakeover.com
Baking Impossible. Netflix. Anytime with subscription. The first season of this intriguing competitive cooking show is setting us up for some fascinating entertainment as cooking meets arts, science and design. Each show competitors are asked to create an object or piece of engineering use a combination of baking and mechanical artistry: https://www.netflix.com/gb/title/81152744
The Nevers. Now TV/Sky Atlantic. Anytime with subscription. An epic tale following a gang of Victorian women, labelled as ‘The Touched’ who find themselves with unusual abilities, relentless enemies, and a mission that might change the world. The main characters are Amalia True, a mysterious, quick-fisted widow, and Penance Adair, a brilliant young inventor, who become the champions of this new underclass, making a home for the Touched, while fighting the forces of… well, pretty much all the forces – to make room for those whom history as we know it has no place.” https://www.nowtv.com/watch/the-nevers/iYEQZ2rcf32XR7zsbTWox3
7 October 2021Dressing Up to Go Out to Stay In: Ju dressed up for World Mental Health Day (Sunday 10 October); Julie dressed up for National Hate Crime Awareness Week; Tracy dressed up to have tea with William Shatner in space; and Robin dressed up for a Baywatch convention.
Poems from the Together! 2012 Pop-Up Poetry Club Theme: Plastic waste. Next week’s theme is to write a poem about an imaginary character. Find out more here about how to join the Club, which takes place on Wednesday mornings from 10.30am-12 noon by phone (we call you and pay the costs). Or join in from home – we’d love to see your poems if you do: info@together2012.org.uk
Crystal Peasy: Recycling
You can recycle plastic containers and plastic bottles
You can recycle storage boxes with lids
You can recycle takeaway containers
You can recycle paper including newspapers and magazines
You can also recycle glass bottles and jars
You can recycle junk mail
You can recycle juice and milk containers
You can recycle different home goods
Like chairs, tables, beds and computers
You can also recycle bowls and cups
You can recycle cards
Like Christmas, Halloween, Birthday and Easter cards
You can recycle candles and clothes
And different waste materials
And we can look after our environment
I’m the Queen of recycling.
Dawn Barber: Recycle
Come on let’s all recycle and do our bit
Let’s treat our world with respect
Rubbish takes over but we must not let it
Got to keep our world tidy and clean
Let’s put all our rubbish in the right places
So we can have more smiling faces
The arrow is pointing to the bin.
Alison Marchant: Six Recycling Bins
There’s a small blue box
We put glass bottles and jars in.
There’s a big green bin
We put grass cuttings and prunings in.
There’s a small white bag
On top of the big green bin
We put batteries in.
There’s a small green bin
We put food waste in, like orange peels.
There’s a white bag
We put paper, card, tin cans, and plastic bottles in.
There’s a big black bin containing a small bag
For everything else that can’t be recycled.
Most gets recycled.
Dwain Bryan: Recycling
Bottle and cans and plastic plates
Go to waste after you’ve eaten
Once used and been thrown away
Will be recycled for another day
You didn’t know you would be saving the environment
So don’t complain or be silent
We are saving the planet and people’s time
So please be good and keep that in mind
We recycle waste to save money and time
So please be grateful and recycle all the time.
Julie Newman: Recycling
The Government decided recycling
Is mandatory. Traffic needs reducing,
The cars of the poor now sent to be
Made into cars for the rich, by giant jaws
Unmindful of the last dying screams
Of metal that emerge from the crusher.
Giant containers of dead metal travel
Relentlessly across the seas in
Giant ships to lands that are metal hungry.
They plough through small islands of plastic
Invisible to radar. Visible to the naked
Eyes of the sea creatures held captive.
Dead metal, so precious to the makers,
Is brought back to life in furnaces
Melting down the solid forms into a
Molten base, reminiscent of great
Lava lakes spewed out of volcanos,
Now actively scourging life as they flow.
And the hunger for all things new
Outweighs the hunger of the many
Who hold dear the little they have.
Unmindful of age or beauty, their
Precious belongings amount to
What is essential to their lives.
Recycling, now the driving force
Of nations that waste too much,
In their pursuit of luxury, is not
An end in itself. Innovation
Continues to feed the hunger
For the new, the better, the best.
But still the global drive for a cure
To our dying planet needs attention.
Recycling grips the imaginations of
Our young campaigners. They become
Activists, the conscience of the wastrels
The optimists hoping for a tomorrow.
Together! 2012 Art Club The Art Club runs a still-life session on Zoom from 11-12 every Friday morning: click on the photo to view a larger version and join in from home. We’d love to see your pictures: send them to info@together2012.org.uk Click here to find out how to join the Art Club.
- Crystal Peasy
- Dwain Bryan
- Lee Brooker
The Art Club also runs a Make and Natter session on Zoom from 11-12 every Tuesday morning. Bring along your own work, or join in with inclusive recycled craft activities. Click here to find out how to join the Art Club.
- Crystal Peasy is making pom-poms.
- Duncan Bridgstock is creating collages from recycled card.
- Ellen Goodey is creating collages from drawing around household objects, colouring them in and cutting them out.
- Safiyya is wrapping a recycled container in papier maché.
Join in with Tracy: Make a picture frame from rolling paper.
- You need: old paper, scissors, a long thin stick, a piece of card, glue (not shown) a paint brush or glue stick.
- Cut your paper into strips, then starting at one corner roll each strip diagonally around your stick to create a long thin tube.
- Glue the outside end of your paper to the tube to stop it from unravelling. Make about 25 tubes.
- Take 16 of your tubes, arrange them into four groups of four, and then glue each group together.
- Take 4 or 5 of your tubes, flatten them, then roll each of the flat tubes into a circular flower shape using glue to hold it together.
- Lay out all your pieces ready to arrange and your piece of card for your backing.
- Stick one of your groups of 4 tubes to either side of the long side of the card. Fold one of your remaining tubes in half and glue it across the bottom to create the base of your frame to stop your picture falling out.
- Glue your remaining groups of 4 tubes across the top and bottom end of the card to create your frame.
- Decorate your frame with your paper flowers, and paint or varnish and otherwise decorate your frame, in any way that you fancy before inserting your picture into the frame.
The Clockwork Paralimpics To join in at home, pick the toy on the right side or the left side of the screen to support before you start the video.
The Week Ahead
Ju recommends…
It’s World Mental Health Day on Sunday 10 October with the theme of Mental Health in an Unequal World. Find out more here: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/campaigns/world-mental-health-day
Tough Talk. A relaxed informal discussion about men and mental health. Sunday 10 October 7pm. Online. Free. A psychiatrist, counsellor, community activist, expert by experience and student share their thoughts on how men deal with tough situations and how to help each other. Further details and booking link here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/tough-talk-tickets-185873802547
The Hidden Life of Trees. 7-9pm Wednesday 13 October. Online. Free. The Goethe Institute presents this fascinating and often visually stunning film by Jörg Adolph about life in our forests, following Peter Wohlleben, author of the 2015 book The Hidden Life of Trees. In German with English subtitles. Further details and booking link here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-hidden-life-of-trees-tickets-168424318671
Bristol’s Inconvenient History of Black Musical Theatre. Wednesday 13 October 1-2pm. Online. Free. The authors of a new book discuss their groundbreaking research into the hidden history of Black performers and musicians in Britain in the first half of the twentieth century. In this talk, authors Sean Mayes and Sarah Whitfield will take a focus on Bristol to uncover the special relationship between Black performers and the city: a connection which sits at the intersections of theatre, music, drama, and dance. Further details and booking link here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/public-talk-bristols-inconvenient-black-history-of-musical-theatre-tickets-167319468033
Julie recommends….
National Hate Crime Awareness Week starts on Saturday 9 October 2021 and continues until Saturday 16 October. This is a campaign to raise awareness about Hate Crime against someone because of their race or ethnicity, spiritual or religious beliefs, transgender identity, sexual orientation or disability. See: https://www.stophateuk.org/events/ and https://nationalhcaw.uk/report-hate-crime
The Museum of Docklands website has a page linked to Black History Month. There are four films about Black History in Four Objects, which have resources attached for teachers and educators that are interesting for everyone: https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/discover/our-stories-reflecting-black-british-history-four-objects
Red Rover. Sunday 10 October. Free. Online. A short puppetry film about a local response to the invasion of Mars by mechanical objects. A cautionary tale. Part of Tunbridge Wells Puppetry Festival. https://twpuppetryfestival.org/?page_id=716
Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra present a double bill of Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-George’s and Mozart. Free. Online. Available until 7 January 2022. Chevalier de Saint-George’s was one the earliest African classical composers, being contemporary with Amadeus Mozart. He was the son of a rich plantation owner and an enslaved woman. https://www.list.co.uk/event/1715510-oxford-philharmonic-orchestra-chevalier-de-saint-georges-and-mozart-i-online/
Robin recommends…
The Beautiful Octopus Club presents Bake Along with Ono!. Friday 8 October 7:30-8:30pm. Free. Online. Chef Ono is back with another evening filled with baking, dancing, music and laughter! Join her live from the Dirty Apron cafe in Deptford, where she’ll be making a Jamaican ginger cake with Sous Chef Ned. Whilst it bakes, we’ll get the party started with shaker making and a calypso dance session! Bake along with Ono is part of The Beautiful Octopus Club Presents, a season of online events including live music, dance, art, baking, poetry and radio taking place from September – November 2021. Further details and Zoom link here: https://www.heartnsoul.co.uk/whatson/boc-bakealong
Define Your Journey. 4pm Wednesday 13 October. Free. Online on Facebook Live and YouTube. Define Your Journey is a Disabled-led interactive online music experience based upon the themes of Jo-anne Cox’s live stage show Defiant Journey, which was supported by Together! 2012 CIC. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the planned tour of Jo-anne’s live show was postponed and adapted for audiences to enjoy it digitally. Hosted by DAO Editor Colin Hambrook, Define Your Journey Lead artist Jo-anne Cox is joined on Zoom by Kate Lovell – Dramaturg / Director, Charles Matthews – Creative Technologist and Joe Strickland – Digital Producer to discuss the ideas and the research and development process that have gone into producing this innovative interactive multimedia work. Further details including links to the DAO Facebook and YouTube channels here: https://disabilityarts.online/events/define-your-journey/
Tracy recommends…
Therapeutic Arts Workshop. 4pm Saturday 9 October. Free. Online. This 60-minute creative workshop balances the mind, body & soul through art with Sarah Seranno-Esquilin: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/societyx-therapeutic-art-workshop-tickets-131366244975?aff=ebdssbeac
Laugh Train Home: Comedy for The Curious. Online every Sunday, multiple start times. £1-£5. The science of comedy, a chat show with a twist, looking at popular topics through eyes of comedians: https://www.designmynight.com/london/whats-on/comedy/laugh-train-home-online-gigs
And finally… An interview with Reesha Armstead.
Stories of Truth and Triumph, including a chapter by Reesha Armstead, is available as follows: Kindle version: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09BBS26C6/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_DQPV2WZP7WW7GTHN4AE7 Paperback version: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09DN192MB/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_KPWXFS61KK03AZGKNVTR All profits go to Megan’s Space, a charity which supports young people with mental health issues and their families.
Click here to view the Highlights & Links from the previous month’s show.