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Chips and Hips

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

Thought I’d try walking like those women in American crime dramas. You’ve seen them, sweeping down long corridors having important conversations and not looking where they’re going: Hips, Hips, Hips, Hips; like Kate Moss except the dope’s in the evidence bag not back home unconscious on the sofa.  I get as far as Hips #1 and skid on the kitchen lino, scattering a number of cats and sending the dogs into a frenzy of territorial barking. That kind of behaviour being, quite obviously, the signature move of the dangerous intruder. It takes half an hour to calm everyone down and … Continue reading Chips and Hips

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Whitcliffe Mount School

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

  In a brief deviation from my blog’s usual content, this post is about saving an old building. Whitcliffe Mount School was funded and built by the people of Cleckheaton at the turn of the last century, having been denied a secondary school by the then Education Authority. They built it on top of a hill and negotiated the rights to the rich coal seams that ran beneath so it could never be undermined – that’s how much they cared about the education of their children in this west Yorkshire working class town. From the start, there was equal access … Continue reading Whitcliffe Mount School

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Full circle

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

I began my post-school career at art college and it was both beautiful and dismal. Beautiful in that 1960s Brighton was a glittering smog-free jewel next to the tallest most colourful sea I had ever seen; dismal due to my local council in Bradford withdrawing out of county grants for art students and requiring me to return to a place still trapped in the 1950s where towns like Halifax were invisible from the high moors roads due to the thick yellow fog of coal fire pollution. I declined the offer and so ended my education in painting and graphic design … Continue reading Full circle

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Down’s Syndrome and Alzheimer’s Dementia

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

It’s a dreadful double whammy – people with Down’s are much more at risk of developing Alzheimer’s due to the extra strand of chromosome that causes Down’s in the first place.  Better healthcare and support means many more people are living into older age (in the early 1900s, most didn’t survive beyond 12 years), enjoying more life opportunities than ever before – including acting, gigging, (check out Heavy Load – I knew several of them!) and hitting the clubs and festivals  supported by friends, family, and the likes of Gig Buddies and the Stay Up Late campaign. But the tragedy … Continue reading Down’s Syndrome and Alzheimer’s Dementia

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‘The Recovery Letters’ edited by James Withey

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

This collection of letters written by people with experience of depression to people still in the thick of it is available now for pre-order. The reviews here strongly suggest without actually saying so, that this isn’t a sit-down-and-read-all-in-one-go sort of book. It isn’t a novel; it’s real and it’s painful at times because the people who wrote the letters and pulled back the curtains on very personal experiences of their own are real. But its message is hope – everyone who wrote has been there and eventually found a safer place from which to speak. The depressions are different and … Continue reading ‘The Recovery Letters’ edited by James Withey

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Elder Care

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

This list of links comes via Kayla Harris of ElderImpact: With more and more people joining the ranks of seniors these days, there really can’t be enough information to share. And while the internet has gobs of resources, it can be like finding a needle in a haystack. At Elderimpact.org, we’re dedicated to helping seniors stay healthy, connected, and up on today’s news and developments. That’s why I’m sharing with you a collection of great resources we put together. The Boomer’s Ultimate Guide to Adding Value to Your Home 9 of the Best Travel Destinations for Seniors and Retirees Downsizing … Continue reading Elder Care

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