Contributors to 07.2010 edition: Ciara Phillips, Katie Smith, Sonja Witts and Anne Elliot.

the morningside mirror07.2010 edition

Morningside Mirror was a magazine published by patients and staff at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital between the years of 1845 and 1974. This new edition of ‘The Mirror’ is part of Artlink’s contribution to examining the Royal Edinburgh’s 200 year-long history in the lead up to the hospital-wide Bicentenary commemoration in 2013. If you would like to find out more about this and other related projects call Ciara at Artlink on ext. 46127.

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GET INVOLVEDFor more information contact Artlink on ext. 46127.

The Royal Edinburgh’s Annual Summer Fete will take place on Friday 13th August on the lawn behind Mackinnon House from 11am – 3pm.

Mary More

FANTASTIC FETE

Building upon the great success of last year’s Summer Fete, the Fete Committee are working hard to ensure that this year’s event will be even bigger and better...

13.08.2010

1 Ian Hartley preps signs for the Fete

2 Last year’s winning entry in the Vegetable Animal Competition (adult category) - Alligator - by Beth Thompson

3 The pipe band were a wonderful feature of the Fete in 2009

4 Tim Montgomery, Director of Operations, REH

5 Movin’ Melvyn Brown took time out from performing at the Edinburgh Festival to visit the Royal Edinburgh’s Summer Fete and impressed the crowd with his incredible singing and dancing – come along to find out who this year’s special guest performer will be!

6 Geoff Hunter, Senior Employee Relations Manager at the Royal Edinburgh, will challenge you to ‘Beat the Goalie’ again this year

7 Music in Hospitals musicians On the Wagon gave a great performance in 2009! This year Firefrost will be taking centre stage

8 Happy shoppers peruse the various stalls

9 Julie Blackwood from the Young Persons’ Unit tending her stall – this year the YPU will be selling original, hand-printed t-shirts and other goodies

10 Norrie Sloan, Woodworking OT, browsing the Patients’ Library book sale – expect another great sale at the 2010 Fete

11 Mike Brown on the BBQ

12 The competition judge, Esmee Warren, holds the winning entry in the children’s category

13 A curious goat from East Links Family Park

14 Joanne Smithers from the Hive with Pig Croquet (a game developed especially for the REH Fete)

15 Back by popular demand, Artlink artist Anthony Schrag (affectionately known as the ‘118 guy’) will be calling upon visitors to the Fete to take part in fun races such as the egg and spoon race and the dressing up relay

In addition to the wide range of stalls selling everything from cakes to cards, there will be tombolas, raffles, a petting zoo, complementary therapies, line dancing, games and races for all ages, musical performances and the ever popular BBQ. The Fete is organized by patients and staff for the whole hospital community, so mark Friday 13th August in your dairy and come along to join in the fun. East Links Family Park will be visiting the Fete again this year.

“The Garden fete is going to be even better than last year so I am hoping for sun again hoping to draw in more of the public and getting more patients’ relatives involved. I am already getting a lot of responses from around the hospital with great ideas to make the day a big success.” Mary More, Nursing assistant, Orchard Clinic and member of the Summer Fete Committee.

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BEAT THE GOALIE

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OINK!

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NEwS FrOm ALEx, GrOwING SpACES COOrDINATOr

What are we up to this coming summer....The Growing Plots (behind the Tipperlinn Bowling Club) are coming to life with twelve groups of staff and patients taking on a plot to grow potatoes, herbs, fruit and vegetables. Individual staff, patients and volunteers from the local community are also involved, helping to maintain the communal fruit, herb and flower areas. Corporate teams supported by BTCV are helping us to protect the growing produce with a rabbit fence.

The Artlink Growing Spaces project has been working with the hospital community for coming up to two years. In partnership with patients, staff, visitors, the local community and community

growing projects we have been transforming outdoor spaces around the Hospital grounds, celebrating the wildlife, birds and Orchard and getting people active in growing their own produce.

GrOwING SpACES

17 A BTCV Volunteer helping out in the Growing Plots

18 Duncan Johnston installing water in the Growing Plots

19 Janine Johnston watering some thirsty plants

FIND OUT mOrE Contact Alex or Anne on ext. 46127 or at growingspaces@functionsuite.com

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16 Anne Elliot from Artlink wearing a beard of nettles

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Alex Wilde

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rOYAL EDINBUrGH COmmUNITY GArDENS Up AND rUNNING

The Royal Edinburgh’s Community Gardens were officially opened in May by the Scottish Health Minister Shona Robison. Coordinated by Sean Jacques, the Community Gardens feature allocated spaces for individuals or groups to grow vegetables, fruit, herbs or flowers. There are also common areas of grass and other cultivation for the amenity of the whole group and members of the public.

FIND OUT mOrE Come down to the site for a visit or check out the Community Gardens blog:httproyaledinburgh communitygardens. wordpress.com/

CrAIGLEA wErE ONE OF THE FIrST GrOUpS TO TAKE ON A pLOT...

...LOOK OUT FOr THE GrOwING pLOTS OpEN DAY AT THE END OF AUGUST TO COmE AND SEE wHAT pEOpLE HAVE BEEN Up TO!

“Growing Plots has been a huge success. Without the assistance from Artlink it would be nowhere near as popular as it is now. With its creative spark and imagination it is a true asset to Craiglea Ward and the REH also.”Johnathan MacLennan, Senior Charge Nurse, Craiglea Ward

COmE ALONG Our monthly Gardening Club in the Growing Plots is led by Tom, a local gardener. Thursday 1–3pm Drop in for advice or practical gardening activity. Upcoming dates are: 15th and 29th July, 19th and 25th August and 23rd September.

20 Mrs. Plant Pot (otherwise known as artist Vicki Fleck) with her potting trolley

21 Craiglea pots

22 The Orchard’s new signage has been designed by Jeanette.

23 The Orchard

24 Sean Jacques from the Royal Edinburgh Community Gardens hard at work on the site

25 Scottish Health Minister Shona Robison at the official launch of the Community Gardens

26 Stills from Recovering by Ewen Meldrum and Stephanie Hall

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GETTING FrUITY IN THE OrCHArD!

We have been gradually improving access to the Orchard through creating pathways. In May we had a apple blossom celebration event in the Orchard with refreshments, entertainment, willow weaving and photography.

With over seventy trees in the Orchard, and several different varieties of apple, there is a bountiful harvest each year. As in previous years we will be doing apple-related events including pressing your own fresh apple juice. Let us know your favourite apple recipe and look out for a range of harvest activity coming up in September/October. Check out our Potting Shed at the Fete!

COmE ALONGBuy plants and gardening accessories, take part in a gardening workshop or just drop in and get some advice and inspiration...

20 21 rECOVErY FILm SCrEENED IN VANCOUVEr

Recovering, a short film about recovery in The Orchard Clinic, was recently presented as part of the 10th Annual International Association of Forensic Mental Health Services Conference in Vancouver by Ewen Meldrum (Technical Instructor, filmmaker and director) and Stephanie Hall (Occupational Therapist).

The film was inspired by the work of an occupational therapist working in The Orchard Clinic community mental health team. Many of the service users that the occupational therapist works with, now living in the community, seemed keen to talk about their experiences of what helped and what hindered their recovery journey. These thoughts, views and experiences were compiled to make this film. In late June, Recovering was screened at the International Congress of the Royal College of Psychiatrists at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, and also at the Orchard Clinic as part of the ‘Have Your Say’ Week.

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Check out the growing competition entries!

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MRS. WILMA HOLMS

Q. What is your role in the Royal Edinburgh Hospital?A. I’m the Hospital ladies’ hairdresser and gents’ barber (it’s not every hairdresser that can do the whole kaboodle).

Q. How long have you been working here?A. I’ve been here for 38 years - since 1972. You would never think it’s been all these years, it’s just gone like that!

Q. How did you get into hairdressing?A. When I was in my last year of high school in Penicuik the owner of a local salon, Mr. McQueenie, came to the school to look for an apprentice. It just so happened that he picked me. I started my training working for him on Fridays as the salon’s general dogsbody and eventually I learned how to cut ladies’ and mens’ hair. I used to just watch what was going on – I’m good at picking things up.

Q. How did you start working at the Royal Edinburgh?A. My mother worked here on Ward 5. She told me that there was an opening at the Hospital salon to cover maternity leave so I came here initially for three months and I’ve been here ever since.

Q. What do you do on an average day?A. I work with the Royal Edinburgh’s residential patients. I do all sorts of styles but mostly trims, roller setting, conditioning and colour – nothing ridiculous though. In the 1970s and 80s I cut a lot of bobs and did lots of blonde tips and light perms. Those Vidal Sassoon bobs are back in now, and many of the old styles are in fashion again but they’re more natural, not so stiff. My cuts are just your basics to make people look the best they can.

Q. What’s your motto?A. Respect. Never cut corners.

Q. What’s the best thing about your job?A. Getting a big ‘thank you’ and knowing that people are happy with what they’ve had done.

Q. Any parting comments?It’s been an experience and I wouldn’t change it.

rEH pEOpLE

Wilma in her salon

AN INTErVIEw wITH BETTY SHOrT

KATIE SmITH FrOm THE VOLUNTEErING HUB rECENTLY mET wITH BETTY SHOrT, A LONG-TImE VOLUNTEEr IN THE rOYAL EDINBUrGH. HErE IS HEr STOrY.

I’ve been working here for 40 years now and I first got involved through the churches. I’m a Catholic and my church has always had a presence here. We were all from churches. I was asked to come along and was the Treasurer until very recently. My husband and my daughter used to come in with me and we came during the day and sometimes during the evenings. We didn’t have the Verandah then of course, we were involved in wards. The Verandah was a ward for ex-soldiers who had been shell-shocked and who had TB. It was all open, that was why it was called the Verandah. We used to have a greater presence in the hospital, we went and fed the patients on some of the wards and we used to get the patients from ward 10 and bring them down to the Red Cross Hut [now Voluntary Services Manager’s office] and play dominoes and have a sing-song. We also used to go to other wards and take them for quizzes. We mended the patients’ clothes and made pinnies for them. It was just all involved in helping with them.

In the summertime we used to have a kind of open day, we used to bring the patients out. There was one man and we used to bring him down a lot and he said that his lawyer was coming and he was going to leave us money. We spoke to the Charge Nurse and said that he wanted to leave us money but he mustn’t do that, if he wants to leave anything then he can leave it to our organisation. And he left us what was a lot of money then, £1000! There were also university students who had a dance and raised £6000 and gave it to us. All our money, any profit we made, went back into the hospital so it was all for the hospital.I enjoyed all of it. It was always an ongoing thing and we got great pleasure from it. We had a great rapport with the patients. We used to have little dances, waltzing with the patients in the wards. Then when we got this place we used to have dances here. There were lots of things going on, that’s why it was called the club. We’ve had lots of good times. Garden fetes when it was lovely and sunny. There was always plenty of food and drink and it was a great day. We had a piper or somebody playing and the atmosphere was tremendous. We used to use the Church Centre and have do’s in the there and food and things.

When the Verandah was officially opened it was opened by Magnus Magnusson. The staff made a terrific fuss of him, but he was a very unassuming man. So that’s the story, it all started with the Churches. But everybody is getting older so there’s a great reduction in volunteers, we really need more volunteers to keep things going.

jOIN IN The Link Gallery’s newest exhibition ‘A Portrait of Volunteering in the Royal Edinburgh’ to learn more about volunteering past and present.

The exhibition runs from 19 July – 4 October 2010.

STOrIES OF CHANGING LIVES

This is a book of stories from patients, carers and staff about moving from hospital-based care into community care. If you would like a free copy of the Stories of Changing Lives booklet please contact the Patients’ Council office or visit our website (www.patientscouncilreh.co.uk) to read a copy online.

“The booklet has been very well received, we have distributed hundreds of copies already, with requests coming from as far afield as Perthshire and Northern England. People have been very complimentary about it, from all walks of life - service users, carers, health professionals, members of the local Morningside community.” Maggie McIvor – Patients’ Council Development and Administration Worker

DIArY DATESPatients’ Council Meetings 2 August and 27 September, 2–4pm, Board Room

Annual General Meeting 29 November, 1.30–4pm, Board Room

GET YOUr HANDS ON...

THE BICENTENArY ALBUm

Produced by the Hive and facilitated by musicians Fred Parsons and Brian Young, the Bicentenary Album is a compilation of songs including old time favourites and new tunes written and performed by current and former patients at the Royal Edinburgh.

“It was really good to work with a professional musician who knew what he was doing and I enjoyed hearing my music on the CD.” Maggie Keppie, participant in the project

GET YOUrSContact the Hive by calling 0131 537 6256 or drop in to get your own copy of this fantastic album.

COmE ALONG Are you a musician at heart? If you would like to take part in playing and making music feel free to drop in to Brian’s Music Jam on Fridays from 2pm - 3pm at The Hive.

We are always eager to hear from anyone who has ideas for future music projects – feel free to come and speak to us about your ideas.

Betty Short in the Verandah Tearoom

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