off the wall issue 15

8/6/2019 Off The Wall Issue 15

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OffTheWallN .15Autumn/Winter2009

in this issue...W rv w Dhi CeO Ro P ll p // Br ol hal Mara oBoo r v w // Po ry // W a o a Dhi // Coo boo pda

I N f o r m a t I v e l s u p p o r t I v e l c r e a t I v e

C l bra g a d cad ppor g comm

S p e c i al an n i v e r S ar y e d i t i o n !


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A supportive And informAtive femAle only

group covering the issues thAt mAtter to you.

interested or unsure pleAse come Along

relAtionships problem solving guest speAkers heAlthy eAting

self cAre support Womens groupdomestic violencesexuAl heAlth confidence Activities refreshmentsevery tuesdAy 10.30 12.00


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O t Wall Magaz 15/16 Milsom Street, Bath BA1 1DE t l 01225 329411 ema l o [email protected]

Pa ro Midge Ure O t Wall ed or al t amFeature writers: Sean Kehoe, Steve Wood & Jim Timoney. Jokes: SteveWood; Books: Jim Timoney; Additional editing: Justin and Rachel Adv r g sal Sean Kehoe (o [email protected])Co r b orSteve Brindell, Stephen Campbell, Ananda, Hannah Weisberg, Louis Wearing, Helen, John Taylor, John.Copyright 2008 Drugs and Homeless Initiative. All rights reserved.

Br ol hal Mara o 4

spor C r w 5

i rv w: Ro P ll p 6

t Darw Award 10

Allo m n w 12 Jo Pag 13

t Dhi Coo boo 14

A m r c p 15

Boo r v w 16

Q a r m a d m 18i rv w: Jo taylor 20

im s ll F g g! 22

Po m 23

Dhi W a O 24

W y Do i Wr ? 26Day a d n g s ppor 27

n x : t W r iSeasonal recipes, more interviews, reviews and in ormation.

Co

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O t WallNo.15, Autumn 2009

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P c r p c al: R


Following the success of Team DHIparticipation in the Bath Half Marathon for the last 5 years, wedecided to participate in the BristolHalf for the 1st time.

It was a brilliant day with the runners village based in the new Harboursidedevelopment and where GMTVs MrMotivator made a special guest appearanceto provide a warm up for the participants!

We saw many runners wearing costumesto support fundraising, such as Gorillas,Bananas, Batman and Robin, Borak and even a toilet! Our team of 8 runnersperformed brilliantly, with the fastestcoming in at 1 hour 48 minutes despite aknee injury.

Dhi wo ld l o ay a g w ll doa d a yo o o r r r or a gpar Br ol hal Mara o ! We are now looking for runners to ful lour Golden Bond places in the Bath Half Marathon on Sunday 7th March 2010.

Runners can be clients, friends, family -

anybody who wants to take up the challengeand raise funds for the development of ourservices.

DHI will cover the 35 entry cost for any clients who wish to run. We just ask that you aim to raise sponsorship money and inreturn you will receive:l A free DHI running t-shirt or vestl Events pre & post the race in theRunners Villagel Encouragement and self esteem for your achievement!

For an information pack or to reserve aplace, please contact Hannah Weisberg on01225 329411 or email [email protected]

Br ol hal Mara oSunday 6 SeptemberByha a W b rg

Abov : le t to right - Dean Morris, MelvinTurner, Stuart Meddick, Leon Haynes, Richard

Waldron, Craig Turner, Helen Gyde.


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5O t WallNo.15, Autumn 2009

F a r : Foo ball cl b w

M y name is Steve Brindle andIve been a service user foraround 2yrs at DHI andother places. Ive been tryingto set up a project to help

other service users for around 18mths asknown by some of you that know me and thathave read my pieces in this magazine before.I have had quite a frustrating time over thispast 18 months in one form or another.

I have at times been judged on my past which has put blocks on what Ive been tryingto achieve at times. Yes, a lot of bad feelingalong the way... and yet there has been many times when people have encouraged me andgiven me the energy to continue in my beliefsand grow as a person to gain con dencein myself and trust in others who see the bene ts for others and me.

My last project hope at the time was within a church and they were backing meall the way so it seemed at the time, it sadly fell through for one reason or another whichI wont go into. Again, disheartened and yetagain more encouragement from friends

and self drive. Anyway, thats the basicsfrom the last 18 months. Where we are atthe moment is as follows; we have beenrunning a football group for 18ths and are ina league. We get beaten more than we win yet least we win a few these days. Wahey!This is run by DHI, Space 2 and I, with thehelp of others and support, have just starteda music group at Space 2 which is open to allagencies; is real fun and a laugh and goodfor people to get involved with. For the last3 or so months we have been lucky enoughto have started golf sessions twice a week onSunday and Thursday afternoons. Its greatfor people. Especially on a Sunday as a lotof users and ex users suffer with nothing todo. This one in particular has become very

popular and has brought people together ina sense of fun and meeting new friends. Itsgreat stuff for people wanting and feeling theneed to make some changes in their lives.

People both male and female really look forward to this and show a lot of gratitudetowards having this opportunity in their

lives and look forward to these days. Wedo have more people than places with thisactivity and have to share it around so itsfair, which people understand. As unlikethe other activities we dont have, and wereunable to get funding for this. How wemanaged this. I used to play up at the Pitchand Putt golf course in Bath which is run by AQUA TERRA leisure.

I met Pete who works there and throughtalking with him managed to speak with oneof his managers whom Im sorry to say atthis point of writing this Ive forgotten hisname, and the time I have to get this inthe shame of this... again, sorry to a ne and very understanding man who we are mostgrateful to and will make this up to this

man... sorry again... this ne gentleman gaveus the go ahead to develop this group at nocharge. Yes no charge. Yes we dont nd thistoo often in this day and age.

Without AQUATERRA and their supportthere would not be as many smiling facesand people making small changes in their

lives today. Gratitude from these people who come along is not a big enough word toexpress themselves.

So big up to AQUATERRA once again.So on we go for now with hopes of makingmore changes and nding more things forpeople to grasp and help make more positivechanges in their lives with the help of others.So look out for more in the next issue where we will have an interview with some of thepeople who have gained some purposeand smiles in their lives with the help of allabove and the unknown gent who will havehis name in lights next time round for sure.Thanks for reading and see you next time.

Bye for now xxxx

t o go g r al o ry g o ga por cl b o gro d...Bys v Br dl


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i rv w: Dhi CeO Ro P ll p

i joy my jobO t Wallspeaks to Rosie Phillips, DHIs chie executive.

OtW: I understand from the website thatDHI began life as a project within BSHHA in1996. Were you involved at this early stageor did you enter the frame later?RP:I joined BSHHA in April 1996 as the soleemployee of DHI. At this stage it involvedrunning Stall Street, a supported dry house, with a remit to develop further services.

The rst service we developed after StallSt was a Resettlement Service for drug andalcohol users, since Stall St only worked withpeople who were abstinent. The resettlementservice was set up to work with people who were still using or drinking, helping themto nd a safe place to live, while looking toaddress drug or alcohol problems. Withouta safe place to live, expecting someone toaddress problematic drug and alcohol use,or any other issues for that matter, seemedunrealistic (this is basically Maslows theory,for anyone who remembers it from theirschool years). Following this, the StructuredDay Service was set up.

OtW: When DHI moved to Milsom Streetand became established as an independentcharitable company in 1999, you were

instrumental in its founding as such.Perhaps you could give our readers an ideaof your motivation for such an ambitiousundertaking.RP: While BSHHA had seen the need forsupport for tenants with drug and alcoholissues, and I was given great support by Kevin Armstrong, its CEO, I felt that DHIsgrowth was hampered by being part of ahousing association. Charitable status opensup certain avenues of funding not availableotherwise, and the housing association,understandably, focussed on housing. DHI was never just a housing or drugs project,and by becoming independent, it seemed thatit would be much easier to develop a widerrange of services to meet peoples needs and

attract funding. BSHHA understood therationale behind this move and so were really understanding and supported the move.

A great deal of my motivation for DHIhas always come from feeling that everyoneshould be given the opportunity to achievetheir potential, and that a lot of people do notget these opportunities for various reasons. Alongside this, I am always motivated by a challenge. Where theres a will theresusually a way!

OtW: A fair amount of funding must have been needed to get the project off the ground. Was this hard to nd? How did you go aboutit? Where did it come from in the initialstages?RP:DHI already had funding for the servicesit ran at the time though some of it wentinto management overheads. However, onleaving the housing association, all the fundscame to DHI, so while I wont say money wasnt an issue, it wasnt a major one. Also,


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where we didnt have money, we had lotsof enthusiasm. We spent more than a few weekends with paint and brushes decorating,and things didnt all just happen at once. Bit by bit we got funding to set up services andto do the building up. Initially, we had one

oor of the Milsom St of ce (the middle one)and the sink in the toilet had to double up asthe kitchen sink, while staff did everythingfrom answering the phones and cleaning thetoilets as well as working with their clients!

OtW: I know that Ken Loach is DHIs patron. Was he from the start or were there others before or with him? How did he becomeinvolved?RP:Ken Loach became our patron in 2006,so he is quite a recent addition! He becameinvolved when we were trying to think of aninteresting speaker for one of our annualevents. Id seen some of his lms and they are all about the sorts of issues we work with.Common to many of his lms is the effect of a lack of opportunity. If you cant put foodon the table or have a roof over your head,enjoying life soon feels unattainable andsome people nd escape in other things suchas drugs. Wed often thought about having apatron, but had never come up with anyone we really respected who stood for the things we do. Id seen Ken at Bath City footballmatches, which also impressed me, as I feltthat he was a proper football supporter at thenot-so-glamorous grass-roots level. Beinginvolved in the community is also important

to DHI. Basically he was perfect for the job.Funnily enough he asked the same

question why him when I asked him to be patron. I gave pretty much the sameanswer I just have. In a somewhat Faustianpact, he said hed be patron if I promisedto become a member of BCFC! We bothkept our side of the bargain!

Midge Ure has been the Patron of OTW since 1995.

OtW: Im always interested to know thesources of ongoing funding. Perhaps youcould give a rough idea of the main ones.RP:The main sources of funding forDHI are through contracts with thelocal authority, health authority, police

and probation. They pool their fundingand put out tenders to provide speci cservices on their behalf. On top of this,DHI gets funding from charitable trusts,grant giving bodies, the general public,sponsored events and basically anywhere

we can get it. While this accounts for amuch smaller proportion of our funding,this funding is crucial as it allows us toprovide thing s the government dont fund like OTW, the allotment project, the ITsuite and lots of the activities we run forclients. In fact, some of the things thatmost inspire service users, and certainly help people to sustain changes they havemade to their lives are the things that thelocal authority dont fund. Sometimes nonstatutory funding will allow us to pilotsomething innovative, which might getfunded later on by a local authority if they see the worth in it. This is one of the greatadvantages of being a charity, rather thana statutory service provider. You can set upservices where you see the need and are not bound by the politics of funding.

OtW: When were the Swindon and SouthGlos branches of DHI founded?RP:Our South Gloucestershire services began in 2005 and Swindon in 2007.

OtW: Are there plans for further expansionin the area, for example in Bristol, Weston-Super-Mare or elsewhere?RP:No, not at present as we want to remain

part of the communities in which we work and if we spread ourselves too widely geographically, I think we might lose a lotof what makes us part of the community.However, we do have plans to offer more varied services in the areas where we operate.For example, we are just about to startproviding a service for some very vulnerablepeople in South Gloucsestershire, includingpeople with a learning disability and people with dementia.

OtW: As a member of the OTW team, Iam interested in who rst mooted the ideaof a Service Users magazine. Was it SU orstaff initiated?RP:OTW was initiated by 2 service users

who wanted up to date information on allthe things we offered at DHI and felt we werent doing a good enough job of keepingour notice boards up to date! So, what beganas a notice board maintained by service userscalled On the Wall, developed into Off the Wall magazine.

OtW: What is your own opinion of themagazine? Would you like to see any changes or additions to it?RP:I think its great. Not only is it aninteresting read, giving information andpeoples opinions on a wide range of mattersthat are of interest to service users, it now runs like a business with a budget, makingdecisions for itself. This means it offerspeople the opportunity to learn new skillsand get involved in a variety of ways, whether writing, editing, learning IT skills, submittingart work or contributing to topic discussionsor editorial decisions. It also informs DHIas it gives us an idea of what is or isnt of interest to service users.

The only thing I would like to see happenis that more people get involved with it, andmaybe that it starts getting its own fundingin through more sponsorship. It has receivedsome revenue funding from having a coupleof solicitor rms advertise in it, but if it couldincrease advertising revenue, it would be ableto operate as a true social enterprise.

OtW: I am constantly disappointed by thealmost non-existent involvement of SUs

in forums, etc. Would you like to see moreand have you any ideas on how those of us who do try to get involved could do more toencourage it?RP: Attendance is very variable. I have been to forums where weve had 20 orso people, and others where there is justa handful. I think staff need to really promote them to make them work. Itsalso crucial that people see things changeas a result of their feedback the new sink unit in the IT suite came about asa result of service user feedback. Thereare other ways to provide feedback though, and some people will always bemore comfortable giving this feedback anonymously or on a one to one basis.

7Ken Loach (le t) became involved when we weretrying to think o an interesting speaker or one o ourannual events. Id seen some o his flms and theyare all about the sorts o issues we work with.


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i rv w: Dhi CeO Ro P ll p


OtW: Is there any contact with former DHIclients once they move on?RP:Many people stay in contact with DHIlong after they have technically left andmay pop in to use the computers or for oneoff advice. There are also some staff and volunteers who now work here who wereservice users in the past, which is fantastic.

We are going to be having a formalreunion event on 25 Sept for all past andpresent DHI service users at Bath City Football Club, so I hope lots of people willcome.

OtW: What is the success rate in stayingclean and sober for those who get intorecovery during their time with DHI?RP:Dif cult one to answer. Not everyone wants/needs to be abstinent, and we arenot an abstinence service. We will supportpeople who want to reduce their use, andmany people do manage controlled use.Success is such a relative and subjectivething.

However, Im hedging the question. Apartfrom in our abstinence services (e.g. the dry houses) where staying clean and sober is theaim, we do not monitor this. The NationalTreatment Agency, which is the governmentagency that oversees the drug treatmentsector, requires us to monitor a huge numberof things. Sadly (in my opinion) most of this is inputs and outputs (ie numbers inand out, interventions given etc). Theirmain measure of successful treatment is

retention in treatment for 12 weeks, as thereis evidence that people staying in treatmentfor this length of time have better outcomesthan those who drop out sooner. They donot require us to monitor staying cleanand sober, which I think is a great shame. We could probably work this out if we dida trawl through les, but the burden of bureaucracy is so huge that we rarely havetime to monitor things we dont have to. best get me off the subject of feeding the bureaucratic beast!

What I do know is that approximately 80% of people who live in our supporteddry houses remain clean and sober forat least 2 years (this is the point at whichthey would have moved on). Anecdotally,

I know a lot of people who have beenthrough the houses and still live in Bathare still clean, many many years later. Onesuch person is currently on DHIs Board of Directors.

OtW: Does DHI ever expel clients for any reason or give up on people?RP: We would never give up on anyone, aseveryone can change and the time has to beright for them. There are times when wemight expel someone from a service for aperiod of time, but I dont think we have everhad to ban someone outright. Fortunately,the instances when we have barred someone are few and far between and are usually because that person has not been respectfulto other service users or staff in some way. Very occasionally clients have beenaggressive. This is usually when they areunder the in uence of alcohol, so we wouldusually just not admit them at that time andask them to come back when theyre soberand have calmed down. Generally though, because people come here because they havedecided they want things to change in theirlife, we have no problems. OtW: Do you hire many volunteers at DHI?If so, are they easy to nd and keep?RP: We have about 30 volunteers acrossDHI. A lot of the volunteers are counsellorsor in their nal year of counselling trainingand they are incredibly important to us asthey enable us to offer counselling to many

more people than we could otherwise. Thisis particularly true for our alcohol services. While the government has spent a lot of money making sure there is treatment forpeople with a drug problem, they havesorely neglected alcohol, and we have had to

work hard to be able to deliver counsellingto people wanting to address an alcoholproblem.

Are they easy to nd and keep? Many volunteers are looking for paid work (andever more so with the recession) and wanting to do something positive while they are looking. If they nd a paid job quickly,then they move on quickly. However, othersstay along time. It helps if we make surethat volunteers get training and support asthis makes staying with us more attractive.

OtW: How much SU involvement, if any,is there in staff recruitment? Would youencourage more if the interest were there?RP: We try to involve service users inrecruitment, though it does depend on thepost. I think what is most important is notto do things tokenistically because we arenow told its good practise to do so, but think about why we are doing it and make sure itis done in a meaningful way.

Recruitment is incredibly importantin this sector, as good quality of staff iseverything. Therefore, to simply put aservice user on a panel, with no training,or no clear understanding of the post orprocess is unhelpful to the organisation,and probably not a good experience for theservice user.

In my experience, what has worked bestis when we have had a panel of serviceusers who have a separate interview withcandidates from paid staff panel. This

way, you get a more representative view of service users than having one person who is apparently there on behalf of allservice users (which is not possible, as weall have opinions). Also, the service userpanels questions have focussed more onthe persons communication skills andattitude toward service users and serviceuser involvement, rather than say, theirknowledge of IT or how to conduct a risk assessment. In addition, it is importantto be upfront and honest with serviceusers about the weight of their interview in relation to the paid staff panel and state what % of the total score this will accountfor. That way, no one is disappointed if theirchosen candidate is not the selected one.


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If there are service users who areinterested in being on interview panels,or who disagree with the opinions Ihave expressed here, I would be happy to talk to them, as I am always open toimproving our recruitment process. As Ihave said, it is hugely important.

OtW: As part of DHIs homelessnessremit, support houses are an essentialelement of the companys services.Firstly, am I right in thinking that theseare necessarily drug and alcohol free?RP: A supported house in itself doesnthave to be drug and alcohol free. Itdepends on its purpose. For instance,a supported housing project for people

with a learning disability shouldnt needto be alcohol free. I suspect however,

you are talking in relation to supportedhousing for people with drug and alcoholproblems.

Many people would not agree with me, but it is my view that generally, wherepeople have drug or alcohol problems,a supported house that is dry is a usefulthing for those who chose to live there,

but a supported house for people who aredrinking or using is not. Why? Because,unless you give up on people and acceptthat they cant change (and this may betrue for some), then you create a ghettothat will tend to drag people down ratherthan support them to get better. It is forthis very important reason that DHI has a

range of other ways of supporting people with their housing, that are not through ashared house model.

If you are wishing to be abstinent,living in a supported dry house can beincredibly helpful for some. Not only can it help living with others who arestriving to stay clean, but knowing thatusing could result in losing your place inthe house is, from what service users whohave been there say, probably anothermassive help, as it can be the thing thatstops someone having a slip up whenthings are bad. Our dry houses are very specialist and not an easy option, but onethat works incredibly well for some.

However, every year, we support many

many more people in housing who arenot in our dry houses. Resettlement andFloating Support Services help homelesspeople to nd a home and support peopleto maintain it (and this can include help

with drug and alcohol problems). The worker can then adapt to the service userthrough various stages of change. They may be drinking/using to start off with,get a home, address their drug problem,relapse, try again etc. and continue to getsupport throughout from their worker.

We support somewhere in the region of 250 people a year in housing need in this

way, and not all are drug and alcoholusers. We also work with people who aredisabled, elderly or have a mental healthproblem.

What I would stress is that DHI believethat every human being deserves a safeplace to live. Making positive changes inany aspect of your life or reaching yourpotential if you are homeless or living infear not realistic for most people.

OtW: How much leeway is given if someone breaks that rule?RP: In the dry houses the rules aroundabstinence are very tight..otherwisethe house will not be dry house and onepersons relapse can jeopardise another 6people who are still clean. People do haverelapses and stay, if they demonstrate realcommitment to learning from the lapseand staying clean, but often they have

to leave. If they are required to leave, we still support them. This can involvehelping people to go back into a rehab or

nding alternative accommodation. It isnot a judgement on the individual, but thehouses are for people who are committedto abstinence.

It sounds tough, but talk to people whohave lived in so called dry houses wherethere is a more relaxed attitude to relapse,and you will nd that it doesnt work andsoon, what you are running is not helpfulto anyone.

Ultimately, we make the rules clearto people before they move into thehouses. It is their choice to live in a place

with a very tight clear rule, or not to if

this is not for them. DHI can help suchpeople through its other services to ndself contained accommodation, with or

without support.

OtW: How many houses does DHI now have and where?RP: We have 4 houses: Two in Bath, onein Trowbridge and one in Frome. I cantgive more details than that, as it is theprivate home of the people who live there.

OtW: How many clients can be housed intotal and for how long?RP: In our supported dry houses we house23 people in total. They can stay there forup to two years, though one year is moreusual. We then support people to move toindependent accommodation.

Through our Resettlement, FloatingSupport and Access Schemes (the AccessScheme helps people access the privaterented sector, by providing a no interestloan for the deposit) we house or supportabout 250 people a year. This is across allour schemes and areas of operation, so Iam not just talking about Bath.

OtW: You are obviously very committedto DHI and working in the drug/alcohol/homelessness spheres. Do you ever ndit an over-demanding commitment, giventhat you need to devote yourself to ahome and family life, too?RP: Like anyone running an organisation,

there are times when the job is highly stressful and demanding. However, Ienjoy my job and realise how lucky I amto be in this position.

I probably used to work too much, anddidnt exactly have what would be calleda good work/life balance. Things havechanged though, as I had a baby just overa year ago, and it has put some thingsinto perspective. Whereas I might have

worked till 7 or 8 oclock at night andthen gone home and worried some moreabout work, I now start work much earlier(something I didnt used to think I wascapable of) but leave at a normal time. Iprobably get just as much done and spendless time worrying about things.

In our supported dry houses we house 23 people intotal. They can stay there or up to two years, thoughone year is more usual. We then support people tomove to independent accommodation.


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The Darwin Awards was startedin 1999 by Wendy Northcutt,as a celebration of the culling of stupid from the human gene pool.It has been 10 years that we have

been graced by all that it is to be, debatably,the most intelligent creature upon thisplanet Us! And heres a tribute to thosehonorable enough to improve the species ...By removing themselves from it.

The stupidity displayed by theparticipants in the following tales stops shortof the ultimate sacri ce, but we salute theirspirit and innovation.

J 1999, Cal or aLast summer down on Lake Isabella, in thehigh desert east of Bakers eld, a woman washaving trouble with her boat.

No matter how she tried, she just couldntget her new 22-foot Bayliner to perform. It was sluggish in every manoeuvre, regardlessof the power applied. She tried for an hour

to make her boat go, but nally gave up andputted over to a nearby Marina for help.

A topside check revealed that everything wasin perfect working order. The engine ran

ne, the outboard motor pivoted upand down, and the prop was the correctsize and pitch. One of the Marina guys

jumped in the water to check beneaththe boat. He came up almost chokingon water, he was laughing so hard.

Under the boat, still strapped securely inplace, was the trailer.

From the PIGS (Poor Innocent GuysSociety) dedicated to Poor InnocentGuys (victims of the wiles of women)and the SLOTHS (Smart Ladies of theHouse) who put up with them

1999 A married couple wanted to keep their home

res burning, and decided to install a woodstove in their Granite Falls home. They

gured it didnt take a rocket scientist toinstall this basic bit of heating hardware, soinstead of hiring a professional, they broughtthe stove home and installed it themselves.

Jeremy Stocker has the inside story! Youfaithfully represent the facts given in theEverett Herald, but I was a re ghter on bothcalls, and I can tell you the second call wasde nitely ARSON. It did not rekindle.

They even remembered to cut a holethrough the ceiling for the chimney vent.Unfortunately they neglected to extend thechimney through the attic to the roof. Pleased with a job well done, they settled down toa cozy evening in front of the re. Theinevitable happened. The heat and sparks built up in the attic andset their home ablaze,providing an unexpected

source of warmth from above.Snohomish County re ghters

extinguished the re, and the couple returnedto their home to console each other over their$8000 loss. But the re was not quite out.Fire ghters had failed to fully extinguish the

re, which started up again the next morning, burning the house to the ground. Thehusband and wife survived.

14 J ly 1999, Ar a a A mobile home in Little Rock was destroyed when a resident used a cigarette lighterto peer inside a gasoline can. Joseph wasattempting to determine whether there was water in the gas can, when he discoveredthat it contained a ammable liquid. The gasfumes caught re, and he slung the can onto

the oor, spattering gas which ignitedand set the residence ablaze.

10

O l F a r


t Darw Award ...The Darwin Awards salute the improvement o the humangenome by honoring those who accidentally remove themselves

rom it...O t Walltrawls the internet or this pick o the bunch.


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O t WallNo.15, Autumn 2009 11

Joseph suffered minor burns on his hand.Donna, the homeowner, and her son initially escaped the blaze but Donna was severely burned when she went back inside to rescuea dog that did not survive.

13 May 1998, n w J r yTheres apparently not much to do in LongBranch during the long May evenings. A 51-year-old man decided to satisfy his fantasy of robotic love by seeking sexual grati cation with his vacuum cleaner. Most men wouldthink twice before poking a valuable organinto a vacuum, but this optimistic fellow hadno qualms about the safety of his intendedcourse of action. And using a vacuum cleanerhad the appealing aspect of tidying up hismess after satisfying him.

Our horny hero didnt realize that thesuction on his hand-held Singer A-6 wascreated by a blade whirling just beneath thehose attachment, adjacent to the collection bag. His search for pleasure was cut shortseconds after he stuck his penis into the vacuum and the blade lopped off part of hispenis. With a sense of loss, he staggered to thephone and called police. He told them that hehad been stabbed in his sleep. When policepointed out suspicious evidence, the victimclaimed not to remember the incident.

Surgeons at Monmouth Medical Centerstopped the bleeding, but were unable toreattach the 1/2 severed part. Though thisman is still alive, his ability to reproducehas been curtailed by both his injury and his

proclivity for household appliances.

1982, Cal or aLarry Walters of Los Angeles is one of thefew to contend for the Darwin Awardsand live to tell the tale. I have ful lled my 20-year dream, said Walters, a formertruck driver for a company that makes TV commercials. Im staying on the ground. Iveproved the thing works.

Larrys boyhood dream was to y. But fatesconspired to keep him from his dream. He joined the Air Force, but his poor eyesightdisquali ed him from the job of pilot. After he was discharged from the military, he sat in his backyard watching jets y overhead.

He hatched his weather balloon

scheme while sitting outside in hisextremely comfortable Sears lawn-chair. He purchased 45 weather balloons from an Army-Navy surplus store, tied them to histethered lawn-chair dubbed theInspiration I, and lled the 4 diameter balloons with helium. Then he strappedhimself into his lawn-chair with somesandwiches, Miller Lite, and a pellet gun.He gured he would pop a few of the many balloons when it was time to descend.

Larrys plan was to sever the anchor andlazily oat up to a height of about 30 feetabove his back yard, where he would enjoy a few hours of ight before coming back down. But things didnt work out quite asLarry planned.

When his friends cut the cord anchoringthe lawn-chair to his Jeep, he did not oatlazily up to 30 feet. Instead, he streakedinto the LA sky as if shot from a cannon,pulled by the lift of 42 helium balloonsholding 33 cubic feet of helium each. Hedidnt level off at 100 feet, nor did helevel off at 1000 feet. After climbing andclimbing, he levelled off at 16,000 feet.

At that height he felt he couldnt risk shooting any of the balloons, lest he unbalance

the loadand really

nd himself in trouble. So

he stayed there,drifting cold and frightened with his beerand sandwiches, for more than 14 hours. Hecrossed the primary approach corridor of LAX, where Trans World Airlines and Delta Airlines

pilots radioed in reports of the strange sight.Eventually he gathered the nerve to shoot

a few balloons, and slowly descended. Thehanging tethers tangled and caught in apower line, blacking out a Long Beachneighbourhood for 20 minutes. Larry climbed to safety, where he was arrested by waiting members of the LAPD. As he was ledaway in handcuffs, a reporter dispatched tocover the daring rescue asked him why hehad done it. Larry replied nonchalantly, A man cant just sit around.

The Federal Aviation Administration wasnot amused. Safety Inspector Neal Savoy said,We know he broke some part of the Federal Aviation Act, and as soon as we decide whichpart it is, a charge will be led.


12/28


F a r : Dhi Allo m

Allo m n wByLo W ar g. Painting (right) by Jo .

D HIs garden club is very proudto announce that we won gold inthis years Bath in Bloom Awards.

The awards ceremony was heldin the banqueting suite of The Guild Hall

with a special guest appearance fromthe Mayor of Bath. All outdoor spacesincluding restaurants, allotments andprivate back gardens were judged. Thereare 30 sites over the Bath area with anaverage of 200 allotments on each one and

we were jud ged the best. Well done us!!!Although the group is centred around

the allotment at the bottom of Victoria park but we do try to arrange trips out to other

gardens on occasions and last month, we hadthe privilege of visiting HRH Prince Charlesgarden at Highgrove.

Security at Highgrove forbade us to takecameras, which was a real shame as thegarden is highly personalised and innovative.In every part of the garden, the Prince andhis obviously very able gardening staff havecleverly integrated the many presents andcuriosities that HRH has picked up or beengiven on his extensive visits around the world. Particularly interesting for me, werethe huge stone olive jars, over eight feet tall, which were used to great effect to providefocal points and to signal entrances to otherparts of the gardens.

However, my particular favourite was what Highgrove dubbed The Rootery. A neighbouring farmer lost over 200trees in the great storm of the eightiesand Highgrove helped to clear up thearea, which included rescuing the rootsystems of these fallen trees and usingthem by inverting them and creating anetwork of tunnels and walkways and

then planting between them with fernsand similar foliage plants. The overalleffect is slightly eerie but tinged withmystery and intrigue.

At the centre of the Rootery is a

small raised body of water which is usedas a reservoir to pump water up to a hugeGunnera manicata which can only survive

if its root system is at least partially submerged in water. Gunneras have hugeleaves up to six feet across and to see thismagni cent plant raised up high above the water surrounded by inverted tree roots was both incongruous and strangely surreal yetthought provoking.

Next we passed through the highly productive vegetable and fruit gardens

which were mainly tended by a slightly stooped and reticent gardener who has

been at Highgrove for many years. We

were informed that the stunning quality of the produce was mainly due to mulchingall the plots with horse manure every year.

With that in mind, we have decided tomake the next trip out for the allotmentto the local stables in Wellow to pick upa van load of manure. Anyone wishing to

join us on this glamorous trip?!Near the main house we visited a more

formal garden which was reached througha small entrance intoxicatingly planted with the highly scented and beautifulevergreen climber TachelospermumJasminoides. Inside the garden wasportioned up and planted with scented andcolourful mainly herbaceous planting suchas Phlox, Penstemon and Dahlias. It was

surrounded by evergreen Yew hedges, whichhad port holes sculpted into them with bustsof prominent men and women the prince hasmet on his travels around the world.

Essentially large gardens open to thepublic such as this should exist on twolevels for me. Firstly, as a place to enjoy asa day out, admire the planting, and perhapsget a few ideas for your own garden.

And secondly, as a thought provoking

experience where new ideas and plantinggroups help to refresh the mind and act asan inspiration not only in the garden but in

your whole attitude to life.Personally, I think that what the Prince

has achieved at Highgrove has succeededin the rst aim and his very personalisedmark on the garden has helped to createa mysterious and challenging aura, whichis inspirational and stays with you longafterwards.

DHI is hoping to arrange another visit to the same garden next year but in adifferent season. If you would like to joinus on this trip and others, why not jointhe garden club and also experience thefriendly atmosphere of our allotment?


13/28

Hotel guest: Call me a cab

doorman: ok sir,youre a cab!


A manwalks into a Doctors

dressed in cling flm ...

Doctor: Stop right whereyou are ... I can see yourenuts already!

A husband and wi fe came for counseling after 20 yearsof marr iage. When asked what the problem was, the wife went into

a passionate, painfu l tirade listing every problem they had ever had inthe 20 years they had been married.

She went on and on and on: neglect, lack of intimacy, emptiness, loneliness, feeling unloved and unlovable, an entire laundry l ist of unmet needs she had

endured over the course of their marriage.

Finally, after allowing this to go on for a suf cient length of time, the therapistgot up, walked around the desk and, after asking the wife to stand, embracedand kissed her passionately as her husband watched with a ra ised eyebrow.

The woman shut up and quietly sat down as though in a daze.A then replied Thats what your wife needs, do you

think you can do that much The husband thinks for a bit,O.K, I can bring her here Mondays & Wednesdays

but Fridays I go fshing!

Whats brown and

steaming and comesout of cows?The Isle of Wight ferry

One day, while a blonde was out driving her car, she ran intoa truck. The trucks driver made her pull over into a parking lot and get

out of the car. He took a piece of chalk and drew a circle on the pavement.He told her to stand in the middle and not leave the circle.

Furious, he went over to her car and slashed the tires.

The blonde started laughing. This made the man angrier so he smashed herwindshield. This time the blonde laughed even harder. Livid, the man broke a

windows and keyed her car. The blonde is now laughing hysterically, so thtruck driver asks her whats so funny.

The blonde giggles and replies, When you werent looking,I stepped out of the circle three times!Did you hear that

Sky Sports are showinglive coverage of The World

Origami Championship tonight?Id love to watch it, but

unfortunately its onpaper view!

s r ly yo ca do b r a ! A y co r b o ...O t Wall Magaz 15/16 Milsom Street, Bath BA1 1DE

t l 01225 329411 ema l o [email protected]

how many manutd fans does it take

to change a light bulb?3. One to change the bulb,one to cheer him on, and

one to drive them all back to swindon.

i jo pag !


14/28

The cook-off went rather wellconsideri ng that half of the cooksdidnt even turn up, a valiant effortfrom all who did was required,

and a valiant effort is what was delivered.There was only one other area that let usdown as a heroic team. That was middlemanagement. Jason, the only person wearing an apron and as usual of middlemanagement, the only person not actually doing anything, just walked around tellingpeople what to do without having a clueabout how to do anything himself.

Space 2 really was not designed for6 or so people cooking at the sametime but eventually due to a brave andastonishing coup, the weak link of middlemanagement was severed and the only true leader of the rabble stood forth. Allexalted the new leader as his naturalabilities shone forth with such radiance it

was dazzling.Steves risotto was applaudable,

being by far the best dish of the day.The second prize went to Steves JewishPenicillin, a broth that could grow back limbs, it was outstanding in clarity of

avour and general feeling of goodnessthat was lovingly instilled by its creator.The rest of the muck was barely worthy of a stray dogs breakfast, as that is what itmostly became.

So the day was rather successfulthanks to a sterling effort by Steve

whose surprising culinary skills and brave leadership abilities were easily the highlight of the day. Thank youSteve for that Gallant effort.

Yours truthfully, Anon

14

F a r : DhiCoo boo coo -a- o


A dazzl g cc ...Despite setbacks, astold by (a not-entirelycredible) s v Wood.


15/28

15

R c p :A m avo r

Com g soo !Dhi t r yCoo booTo celebrate DHIs

10th anniversary,we are compiling aThri ty Cookbook

eaturing 30 or sorecipes or under afver... Fancy gettingyour avouritemoney-savingrecipe in print?Contact us or sendyou recipe to theaddress below.Happy cooking!

Fa cy yo r l a a coo ?

t yo cab r o r r d ma rc ? s d

yo r r c p ,a d p c a d w llpr m...(o ly yr a y good!)

t Food PagO t Wall Magaz15/16 Milsom Street, Bath BA1 1DE

t l 01225 329411ema l o [email protected]


i gr d25g butter or similar1 tbls oil2 onions, chopped1 clove garlic, fnely choppedHal kilo minced bee 1 tbls curry powder1 tsp mixed herbsSalt and pepper3 slices bread250ml milk2 eggs

M od1. Heat oven to 180C/350F/Gas4. Heatfat and oil in large saucepan. Fry onionsand garlic until lightly browned,then remove from heat.2. Add minced beef, curry powder, herbs,salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.3. Soak bread in milk for a few minutes,squeeze dry, reserve milk. Stir bread into beef mixture with 1 egg, mixing well. Turn

into large greased pie dish and level surface.4. Mix reserved milk with 1 egg and beat well. Pour over beef mixture.5. Stand dish in pan of water and bakefor one hour or until golden brown andcooked through.

sp cy B Ba

ea y d r ...C ocola tri gr d1-2 chocolate swiss rolls

1-2 bananas5oz cooking milk chocolate5 eggs

M odSlice the swiss roll and the banana and placesin layers at the bottom of a dish. Separate theeggs. Whisk the egg whites until they are stiff and stand up in peaks and place to one side.Melt the chocolate and once melted stir inthe egg yolks. Once this is all mixed togethercarefully fold in the egg whites. Before pouringthe mixture over the swiss roll and bananasmake some holes in it with a small knife ora skewer so that the chocolate can seep rightdown to the bottom of the dish. Place in thefridge for a couple of hours before eating.

Fa cy Appl Pi gr dqpple pieapricot jam1 egg whiteground almonds

M odFollow any apple pie recipe but with thesedifferences - whisk an egg white and foldinto the stewed apple, put a layer of apricot jam on the pastry underneath the apple anda thin layer of ground almonds on top of theapple underneath the top pie crust.


16/28

16

Boo w & r v w

Dhi Boo cl bDHI Book Club meets on the frst Monday o each month to discuss a book readduring the preceding month. In this section, J m t mo yaims to present a brie review o some recent Book Club titles, including his own opinions about them.


l After the brief summer holiday lull, theDHI Book Club is meeting again from 5thOctober. The book up for discussion is theabove rst novel by Ken Kesey. He wasone of the USAs most controversial 1960sauthors and this work is seen by many as aclassic of its and any other time, later beingmade into a popular lm.The story is narrated by Chief Bromden ina style that took me a while to understand.The Chief is half Indian, as native North Americans were called in those pre-PCdays. He is a huge guy, who pretends to be a deaf mute as a form of protection. Heis also very wise, seeing and hearing morethan people realise.

Set in a mental institution, the whole

atmosphere of the place changes when thearrival of McMurphy (known as Mack)challenges the submissive, defeated feelof the ward. Transferred from servingtime on a work farm, Mack seems to bringa breath of fresh air to the place - or ishe just too big for his boots, too full of bullshit? He soon starts to pit himself against Nurse Ratched (aka Big Nurse),trying to wear her down and encouragingthe other patients to buck the system.Once he realises they want him to ghttheir battles, at the probable cost of prolonging his stay, he changes to playingher game and keeping his nose clean -until, that is, he cant do it any longer andhe snaps. He is especially shocked when

he learns that, despite their hatred of their situation, most of the patients are voluntary, not committed like Mack andthe Chief.

Throughout the novel, the story alternates between laughter and sadness,leading to what came to seem theinevitable outrageous climax, followed by its aftermath. Keseys book has beencalled a classic, as I pointed out above, but I found it falls short of such a claim.I thought I had read it many years ago but I must have been mistaken. I havealways thought the lm version a classic.However, I found the book a bit toolong-winded, wandering from the plottoo often, with the Chiefs weird fantasy

excursions. It was, though, very moving, well written and, I feel sure, extensively researched. Ultimately, I found it anexcellent read, in spite of my nitpicking.

A q c loo a DVDThis was the rst time our Book Clubfurnished us with a DVD to accompany the book of the month and I was really pleased with the chance to see one of my favourite

lms after so many years. The lm wasreleased in 1975, won ve Oscars andstarred Jack Nicholson, one of the nestactors of the last fty years in one of his

nest roles. Watching the lm only the day after

nishing the book meant that I easily

spotted the sometimes vast divergencesfrom the original story. A lot of details were necessarily omitted and several scenesdramatically altered. The main themeand its overall telling, however, remainedthe same; most importantly for me, theoutcome was as it was written. Unusually,I preferred the lm over the novel, butthat, as always, is down to personal taste;if asked, Id recommend either or both.

Dhi BOOk CLuB: BOOk/DVD OF the issue

O Fl w Ov r t C c oo n by k k y(Methuen, 1962)


17/28

17n i !Watch this space or more Book club reviews -and a ew suprises...

Pa r v wBelow are just a ew o the bookspreviously reviewed in this section.Readers might like to know that most o the books reviewed may be borrowed

ree by Service Users rom the DHIcomputer room.

exit MusiCby ia Ra

l The last Inspector Rebus novelis an excellent swan- song or theirascible detective. The convoluted plotis a cli -hanger to the last ew pages.

AniMAL FARMby G org Orw ll

l Orwells classic novel is a joy to readon any level political, class-based orjust or un. A book which has stood thetest o time.

heARt OF DARknessby Jo p Co rad

l This novel is largely based on theauthors time in the Congo in the 1890s;it was used as a loose basis or the

lm, Apocalypse Now. At just over ahundred pages, it makes or a light,uncomplicated read.

the FiRst ChROniCLesOF DRuss the LeGenDby Dav d G mm ll

l A gripping read in the antasy ctionvein rom start to nish, this Druss novelmakes ans o the genre want to try therest o the series.

the shACkby W ll am Pa l Yo g

l A very controversial novel, basedon the challenge o aith aced by a

committed Christian when his daughteris abducted and her murder becomesmore and more likely. Thought-provoking, whatever your take on Godand religious belie .

l Although not a Book Clubchoice, I so enjoyed thisnovel that I couldnt resistreviewing it here. This author,previously unknown to me,

was recommended by OTW colleague, Steve, when Imentioned my passion formurder mysteries. I am pleasedto add his name to my list of favourites.

Although a lover of the crime genre, Iam not always impressed when I pick upa novel by an author new to me. I took tothis book almost immediately, though. I was hooked after the rst two chapters;from then I found it hard to put down, as it

became more intriguing by the page.The main character in all of Childsnovels is Jack Reacher, something of a

maverick and loner, wholives and operates outsidethe system and likes it that way. Jack is ex-military police, now a man who rights

wrongs. Hes not a cop, nota private detective, hes justJack and he takes on the badguys.

The plot begins witha seemingly open and shut case of veapparently random citizens shot dead inIndiana. It becomes increasingly confusingas Jack starts investigating the shooting,

nding and unravelling one anomaly afteranother, until the reader is led to the nalcomplicated solution.

This is a novel I de nitely recommendand, if his others are even half as good, Ilook forward to reading more by Lee Child.

BOOk ReVieWO s o by L C ld (Bantam, 2005)

BOOk ReVieWs Ag s a d by t oma e d o (Michael Joseph, 1994)

l This is another non-Book Club choice which I thought deserved a mention.

Like most of his writing, this novelcomes from the authors oral family history and storytelling and is describedas a tale of the ght between faith andhumanity for the right to exist.

If I tell you the novel is about nuns,orphans, Apaches and a lone rescuer calledNat Swanson in Arizona, it might make itsound a bit weird, even boring, but I foundit a compelling read. The story begins when Nat comes across a group of nuns andorphans besieged by Apaches and stops tohelp. The main nun, Sister Agnes, sees himas sent by God; Nat takes the more realistic view that he just happened along - all he cando is try to get everyone out alive.

The rest of the book tells of his attempts

to do that, of hisencounters with

and attempts tooutwit the Apaches.It also deals withthe remarkablefaith of Sister Agnes and Nats reactionsand attitude towards it. The whole is a very moving account of courage, both through thefaith of Sister Agnes and the sheer necessity of circumstances seen by Nat.

After my initial doubts about thestoryline, especially the religious side of it, with its potential for preaching at thereader, I ended up full of admiration for both the characters and the author. I cameacross this book by accident (or was itdivine providence?) and I am now glad thatI did. I recommend anyone to give it a try.


18/28

18

F a r


Q a r m a d mby J m t mo y

When I mention that I attendQuaker meetings I usually ndthat people have little or noknowledge of Quakerism. In fact,

someone recently told me she had never evenheard of Quakers. I was then asked to write apiece for the magazine about their history, whoand what they are, what drew me to Quakerismand why I still attend Quaker meetings.

I should like to stress at the outset that thisis not intended to be an advertisement forQuakerism nor an attempt to win converts.That is not the Quaker way, which is oneof the reasons I was drawn to the Society when I rst went to a Meeting. The Quakers,or the Religious Society of Friends to usetheir formal title, lean more towards the AA maxim of attraction rather than promotion.My aim is rather to describe something of Quaker beliefs and activities and perhaps todispel a few misconceptions.

I have met those who are under themistaken impression that Quakers arePuritanical throwbacks who wear drabclothes and funny hats and are killjoys whorefrain from such activities as dancing,TV and cinema, equating them more with

groups like the Exclusive Brethren or the Amish than the people I know them to be.I have no wish to malign other religiousgroups or their beliefs and practices simply to share my own experience of modernQuakers and Quakerism.

Q a r h ory...

Before I do this, let me take you through anecessarily very brief history of the foundingand development of the Religious Society of Friends, who from an early stage came to beknown contemptuously as Quakers. The term was rst used by a judge in 1650 when trying afounder member, George Fox, for blasphemy.It derived from Foxs advice to said judge totremble at the name of the Lord and the way that Friends would often begin to shake with the need to minister in Meeting whenso moved by the Spirit. Before long, Friendsadopted the appellation themselves.

The Society came into being in the mid-seventeenth century, during a time of revolutionary change, when many old ideas of the social order were breaking down, including within the Church of England. Seeking a moreintimate relationship with God and less pompand ritual, some religious groups began to splitfrom the mainstream, Quakers emerging asone of the main ones.

Although it was not the work of just oneman, George Fox played a major role inuniting various dissident groups into what became the Religious Society of Friends. They adopted a way of life based on simplicity andlack of ostentation and this was re ected in

their form of worship. In QuakerMeetings you will nd no creeds,no communion, no hymns and nominister. Instead, anyone present, if moved by the Spirit, is free to speak as so moved.

Friends did not have an easy ride for many years, sufferingpersecution, prosecution and jailfor their beliefs and practices, but the Quakers would not go

away. Over the next few centuries, Quakersgradually gained more acceptance andrespect, especially as they became known fortheir concern and action over conditions inthe world around them.

From very early days, Quakers were inthe vanguard of social witness. Their work in such elds as the welfare of the poor, theanti-slavery movement, social justice, prisonreform (viz, Elizabeth Fry), education andfair business and employment methods was legion. The Quaker name becamesynonymous with honesty and fair dealing.Some of the best known business and nancialinstitutions have Quaker roots Cadburys,Rowntree, Barclays, Lloyds and FriendsProvident, to name but a few.

Probably the best known of the Quakerprecepts is their Peace Testimony, whichsprang from their Declaration to CharlesII in 1660, which begins: We utterly deny all outward wars and strife and ghting with outward weapons, for any end orunder any pretence whatsoever. Over thecenturies, Quakers have played a signi cantpart in peace negotiations, peace-keepingand reconciliation. Quaker witness was

particularly important in bringing aboutthe recognition of the right to conscientiousobjection to military service. Althoughsome Quakers, having wrestled with theirconsciences and beliefs, felt they had to beararms in the two World Wars of the twentiethcentury (and the all too many other wars),many more chose the paths of ambulanceand relief work, each respecting the othersdecision.

... a d todayLike any movement, the Religious Society of Friends has developed over time; it has,however, remained true to its basic tenets,


19/28


the underlying one being that true humanful lment comes from the attempt to live lifein the spirit of love, truth and peace, answeringthat of God in everyone.

The Society is all-inclusive so at aQuaker Meeting can be found peoplefrom all walks of life, of diverse types andpotentially representing all faiths andnone. The Society, despite claims to thecontrary by more conservative, evangelical,fundamentalist Christians, is a Christianone and is accepted as such by ChurchesTogether in Britain and Ireland; I see theacceptance by Quakers of all seekers of thelight as strengthening their Christianity.

Whilst there are, in fact, Quakers across the

globe, my experience is limited to Britain. Ido know, however, that modern Quakerismhas developed into a Society which is moreopen to the world around than it was inits early days or even fty years ago. ThisI see as a good thing, leading as it does togreater Quaker involvement in the spheresmentioned above where Quaker input andaction are much needed.

Behind this increased openness andinvolvement lies the faith which leads to theaction and the principal expression of this faithis in Meeting for Worship. These Meetings are based on silent waiting, enhanced from timeto time by the ministry of anyone inspired tospeak brie y, to read from the Bible or anotherinspirational work or to pray. No altar or

hymnbooks will be found at a Quaker Meeting,although copies of the Bible are at hand forconsultation, along with the Societys ownanthology of the Quaker experience of God,Quaker Faith and Practice.

Putting this faith into practice is an essentialpart of the Quaker way, although it is up toeach individual to become involved to theextent that (s)he feels able or desirable. Theunderlying Quaker testimonies are seen to be at work in all activities; truth and integrity in all things are at the heart of all Quaker work. Simplicity of life and attitudes arestill important, as is the belief that all peopleare of equal spiritual worth. A great deal of work is done in the sphere of equality and

sharing, including addressing issues such ashomelessness, prison reform, exploitationof producers in poor countries, refugees,addiction and many more. As mentionedabove, peace work in all its forms is a principalconcern among Quakers, who are in the vanguard in the elds of peace-keeping,reconciliation, forgiveness and discussion.

Q a r r m

a d m ... What rst drew me to a Quaker Meeting abouttwenty years ago was curiosity, pure andsimple. I had little knowledge of Quakerism,

but I was seeking something, without quiteknowing what. I was dissatis ed with my return to mainstream churchgoing, which Ileft in my teens, so I decided to check out otherpossibilities. I knew I had a spiritual need,some way of connecting with a higher powerthat I knew was there but couldnt de ne.

The thing which most impressed me wasthat, although Friends were very welcomingand made me feel at home and at ease, there was no pressure or promotion. I started toattend the occasional Meeting and gradually found I was attending most Sundays, leavingthe church I had been going to for a while.Over time, as I learnt more about Quakerism,I came to have a growing respect for theQuaker attitude to diversity, their concernsregarding injustice in all its forms and thequiet worship with its lack of leaders.

I would say that, above all, I was especially moved by the Quaker Peace Testimony. Itseemed to sum up everything I believed aboutthe need to work for a peaceful world, wherepeople do not need to take up arms to addressdifferences. Furthermore, I have always been sickened by the fact that so many warsare fought in the name of God or religion, soI nd the Quaker attitude and actions very encouraging. In a world so full of war, violenceand terror, knowing that there are those who reject such methods is of great comfortand reassurance. My initial attraction andcontinuing adherence to Quakerism, then,is based on various facets of the Society spiritual, ethical, faith with works, social and

its diverse and inclusive nature.Researching and writing this article has

proved a very worthwhile exercise for me. Whilst hoping that it may be informative tothose who read it, I have also learnt just how much I value my Quaker links and friends andthe love and support I have received, especially in times of strife; that I do, in fact, considerQuakerism my spiritual home.

I have, of necessity, been able to do littlemore than touch on the basics of Quakerism.I have tried not to use language tooobscure for non-Quakers; if I have not fully succeeded, I apologise. Those who may wishto know more are welcome to ask me (Ill domy best!) or, for a more informed source, try www. Quaker.org.uk.


20/28

20

i rv w: Jo taylor


OtW: B or yo cam o Dhi w a wa yo r l l ? Jt: The best way to describe my life wasOne big whirlwind of chaos. I startedusing when I was 13 years old. My family moved to Weston-Super-Mare and my father became a preacher, an extremepreacher. I went against this and soonfound drugs as an alternative. I startedinhaling petrol with a friends brotherthen glue and alcohol, then thingsspiralled and I fell in love with base andparties. I dont think it was the actual hitI enjoyed from the base so much as thecome down. Over time my use of baseand with that alcohol increased, I startedlosing jobs and began life on the dole. I

went on to temazies, codeine, basically any pharmaceutical I could get my handson. My friends and I used to do a lucky dip where we would place all our pillsinto a bag, uppers, downers, everythingand just swallow whatever wepicked. At this point I starteddealing hash and speed to get thecash to continue my habit.

At some point I decided I had hadenough and moved to my unclesin Worcester. I managed to get off everything except alcohol, which I

was now drinking like a sh, but theother urges were still there. Aftera while I moved back to Westonand the same old story. Realising

what was happening I went back to Worcester for a new start. I was working as a chef in the eveningsand then going to clubs until theearly hours of the morning. I startedusing coke at this point and lots morealcohol both of which were beinggiven to me for free. Life seemed really great and normal. Everyone around

me was doing the samething and we all managedto hold down our jobs. I

was happy at work, I wasgoing to get married andmy relationship with my parents was great.

Then the restaurant where I worked closed downand I moved to Bath. I started

working in another restaurant and my social using became heavier and for the

rst time I had to pay for it. Soon I wasfreebasing the coke and I started sellingmy personal stuff and arguing all thetime. After 3 years of this I was down tosix stone and my relationship with my girlfriend was very on-off. I had problems

with my parents through borrowingmoney and had large credit cards bills.My life was pretty bad.

OtW: W a mad yo co ac a dr g ag cy a d owd d yo d p a Dhi? Jt: While I was workingin the restaurant in BathI had met two guys who

also worked there who were clean. At this point I

didnt know they had beenthrough DHI. I remember on

many occasions going into work aftera hard night and they would say how Ireally needed to sort myself out and thathelp is out there etc.

Things were really out of hand now andone morning I woke up in a pool of blood

with a large piece of glass sticking out of my wrist and absolutely no idea what hadhappened. I went to work and they sentme to hospital. The staff there seemed tohave very little sympathy. I went home

and felt very alone. Shortly after thisI was lucky enough to bump into KP,one of the two clean guys. This time Itold him I needed to sort myself out.He said he would try and help and told

me to stay clean for two days. I didand went to an AA meeting, then he

brought me to DHI although, at thisstage, I didnt know why I was there.

OtW: how d d yo ma ag o opg a d ow m c do yo l Dhi

lp d w ? Jt: I decided to go it alone and stopusing by going cold turkey. I went tomy doctor who gave me lithium anddiazepam. I met KP again who took me to AA and Dave (my other cleanfriend) took me to NA. I did this for 2 years and I was clean, busy workingand attending meetings. First timearound at DHI I didnt really get

O b g w rlpool o c ao O t Wallinterviews ex-service user John Taylor.


21/28


involved. Although everyone seemed very nice, I had a friend who had a badexperience and my mentality was thatthey couldnt really help.

OtW: W a Dhi rv c d d yog volv d , rm o gro pa d ac v ?

Jt: Although I had been clean for 2 years I realised I still hadnt really

addressed any of my issues. My bossand friends suggested I go to thedoctors who wanted to put me onanti-depressants and beta-blockers

which I really didnt want. I met my friend KP who again suggested DHI soI went for an assessment. I started theabstinence group, 1-1 and went intoa dry house. I felt I was at last gettingprofessional help to confront andaddress my issues and stay abstinent.

OtW: W a w r yo r b gg d fc l aro d opp g a dma a g ab c ?

Jt: Before going to DHI and havingnever addressed anything, despite 2 yearsclean, I was not sorted out and could easily have gone back to the way I was. Once I wasgoing to DHI and did address my issues, went to a dry house and got out of my black hole things became much easier. I was basically being shown how to live andthat life would be happier if I changed my lifestyle. No promises were given and I wasmade to realise it had to be me who changed.

OtW: A w a po d d yo lcompl ly r gra d o oc y?

Jt: While I was in the dry house I nishedgroup but was signed off work and it

was recommended I stay off for sometime so I did feel removed from society.Through the years I guess I had lost my self-esteem and felt thick/stupid. I hada chat with a counsellor who suggested Igo to college. I did an access course and

began to feel a sense of self worth and alittle reintegrated. I went to University and completed a degree and got my ownplace by which stage I felt reintegratedinto society.

OtW: W a do yo do ow? Jt: During the last year of my degree I wasintroduced to Archiving and Libraries

which I really enjoyed. I got a voluntary job in a closed library and decided topursue this as a career. I wanted to doan MA in Archiving but was requiredto be in paid employment for a yearso I could not do my course. To keepsome money coming in I did odd jobs,gardening, organic farming and kitchen

work. Then a part-time paid job came upat the place I did the voluntary work, andI am now their full-time administrator.It is not archiving but it is still within theinstitution and I really enjoy it.

OtW: W a mad yo b com a boardm mb r o Dhi?

Jt: I was approached by the DHI to

become a board member which wasexcellent. Despite doing board work at NA previously, it is not somethingI would have applied for. Still feelingslightly negative I started thinking why

on earth would they want me. Someonesaid they needed a voice for serviceusers on the board with the kind of lifeexperiences I had. Also I felt I wanted togive something back and this would be agood way to put across the concerns andfeelings of service users.

OtW: how mpor a or l do yo l yo r l xp r c o dr g a dalco ol ar wor yo ar owdo g w Dhi?

Jt: I think they are very useful. I cande nitely use my life experiences and helpensure that things are considered from aservice users point of view and be the voiceof service users at this important level.

OtW: W r do yo yo r l /car r go g r ?

Jt: I dont know. I do look to the future but I have more now than I ever expected.I would really like to get married and havekids. I just want to be happy and feel this

will help me achieve this.


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22

F a r


A s DHI looks back over its rstdecade of service, I am remindedthat I have been around for severalperiods during most of those

ten years. I am one of those still trying toshake off the shackles of alcoholism, having been constantly binge drinking for overthirty years, even up to very recently. Imean this as no re ection on DHI; on thecontrary, I have nothing but admiration andgratitude to several key workers, other groupfacilitators and even fellow service users, allof whom have pulled out all the stops (andstill do) to try to help me remain abstinent.Unfortunately, however, in spite of so muchhelp and my own genuine determination, Ihave still been struggling.

From r al a o o d p ra oMy problem with booze goes back long before DHI. I have had a love/haterelationship, which eventually became ahate/hate one, with it for over thirty years. A growing realisation that I had a problem- was, in fact, an alcoholic - led me to seek help in many ways over many years. I musthave tried everything I could nd except a

treatment centre ACAD, AA, GP, BADAS,religion, hypnotherapy, counselling, youname it. As for the treatment centre idea,my GP always told me I stood no chanceunless I could pay for treatment. How,then, the scores of people I met in AA, mostof whom, like me, didnt have two penniesto rub together, had been in and out of treatment, I dont know.

As the years dragged on, includingtwenty in AA, things unsurprisingly grew worse. I reached my worst period in themid to late nineties. By then, I couldnthold down a job, even endless trainingschemes interfered with my drinking, Isold everything in sight (not always mine tosell) and was suffering terrible withdrawal

symptoms every time I ran out of money and stopped. A week in Hill View Lodge with DTs and hallucinations didnt evendeter me for long.

This was the time of my worstdesperation. By 2000, I couldnt take theendless pressure from the Job Centre andothers and admitted defeat regarding my ability to work and control my life. My GPagreed and put me on the sick, where Ive been ever since. At the same time, I foundDHI and joined a recovery group for the

rst time.

n w c ry am old? At rst, the new century seemed no differentfrom the previous one. My binges continuedalong the same lines drink from bene tday until I end up skint and wrecked, thensober up again and my emotional state was such that I feared for my sanity at times.

Unfortunately, the binge pattern, with the occasional notable exception, hasremained much the same, despite severalfurther aborted attempts in groups at DHI.I have, however, noticed a continuing andreinforced determination not to give up on

myself; I believe DHI has played a large partin this and still does. Without DHI to helpkeep me focussed Id nd it hard to keepanything together. Not giving up on myself is very important to me. Understandably,there have been plenty over the years whohave washed their hands of me; at the sametime, some have not, both inside DHI andin my wider life. For this, I am grateful andencouraged.

t lo g a d w d g road As the endless years have turned intodecades, I have become increasingly frustrated, annoyed and despairing. Thisstop/start habitual behaviour has taken overmy life, which totally revolves around booze.

Im either drinking the stuff, recoveringfrom a binge or planning how to avoidanother one and remain abstinent. Ivefollowed the same pattern for so long now that I cant see how to get off this awfultreadmill. I live the nightmare in my headtwenty-four hours a day, my nerves area mess and anti-depressants dont help,mainly because I dont take them when Idrink.

My main ways of keeping sane andtrying to remain hopeful and positive are toremind myself that I still have a chance to

recover, that I havent given up on myself and that I can try again. Also, in spite of my frustration with myself, I remember thetimes when my life was in an even worsestate. I think of the small steps (to mostpeople) I have made in recent years thingslike being nancially sound (skint but not inserious debt!), keeping my bills up to dateand not being chased by debt collectors, theDSS or the law. Linked with all of this is my continuing link with DHI, the best lifelineIve ever had. Being involved in activitieslike OTW , the Book Club and the TopicGroup help to give me a focus and just beingable to drop in can be a big help at times.

Yes, it has been and still can be anarduous journey but, yes, I am still ghting.

im ll fg g!By J m t mo y.


23/28

All compa g Lby Ananda

Glancing at an old man,

his oval eyes squinting in the sun,behind him a young lady waves,

signalling to another one,with a toddler in tow,

sucking chocolate o his ngers.Multi-coloured cars stop at the designated sign,

red to be noticed,people, o all ages,

cross the zebra print foor,systematically secure.

On a ca e table pages o a paper fap and crease,

as people talk,a police siren sounds,

in morbid ascination; all look round,till it can no longer be heard.

A bird fies,

landing near a man,smart in suit and tie,looking at his watch,

calculating conclusions,striding towards an o ce building.

Engines roar, leaves rustle

in the ears o a girl,determinedly pushing the pedals,driving the wheels on her bicycle,

mechanically mobile,letting the breeze cool,

outside a shop people, in uni orm, drag their ags,whilst others leave carrying plastic carrier bags.

The girl stops to take a drink,

clear water quenches her thirst,then eet back to the pedals, continues along,

to reach her destination, eyes on the road ahead, pedalling ast,in her peripheral vision the bright streaks o fower beds,

and the green o grass.

Cars speed past and a dog barks,its owner taking it or a walk in the park.

The dog jumps up making the owner smile,

being watched by a mother and child.The child smiles, in reaction to the scene,

and mother reaching or the childs hand, also smiling.


Po ry Cor r

A O Door sA o r O Op

by Ananda

There are no doors, windows or foors, Just walls that surround me like a thick skin,

I want to break out, emerge rom my jail,I stretch these walls, but they will not rip,

i I light a re would they melt and drip into a pool?or there is no light or heat at all.

I want a normal li e with colour ul times,darkness can metamorphose ear to surprisein walls that trap encapsulating me in nothing.

Why should I wake? I live the night -the sun will never rise again now you have outgrown your name;

my lips no longer taste, my ears hear, my hands eel,reality whispers that time heals all, or does it tell,in so doing does it scream at the does o its voice

shattering shards o glass that pierce my outer shell,showing me the world again?

COMinG sOOn t DhiPo ry boo

Regular O The Wall contributor andBooks editor J m t mo yhas beencompiling the DHI poetry book - acelebration o the best contributions

rom DHI service users over the lastew years. Watch this space or

details o how to hold o yours in thecoming issues o O The Wall.I you have any poetry contributions or these pageseither email o wall@dr g a d om l .org. orcome along to one o the editorial meetings on Tuesdaysbetween 12 and 2pm at Hay Hill church.


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24

W a O :Ba & ne som r


Ba & ne som r s rv c

MOnDAY 10.00 - 2.00pm Ar a d Cra Gro p 2.30 - 4.00pm Ab c Gro p3.00 - 5.00pm ho g Drop-5.30 - 6.30pm Boo Cl b (1st Monday o each month)6.45 - 8.00pm Foo ball

tuesDAY 10.00 - 12.00pm Wom Gro p 12.00 - 2.00pm O t Wall Magaz (Hay Hill Church)12.30 - 2.00pm A C a c o C a g2.30 - 6.30pm Po v C a g

WeDnesDAY 12.00 - 2.00pm Gard g Gro p2.00 - 4.00pm top c Wor op

thuRsDAY 12.30 - 2.00pm A C a c o C a g2.00 - 10.00pm Polar y t rapy

2.30 - 4.00pm Po v C a g6.00 - 7.00pm R lap Pr v o s ppor Gro p

FRiDAY 12.30 - 2.00pm Ba l Aga tra q ll z r2.30 - 4.00pm Ab c Gro p5.00 - 6.00pm Baad A r c lar Ac p c r

sAtuRDAY Gardening Group

A ChAnCe tO ChAnGeWhat Pleasures Does Your Drug Use Bring You?What Di fculties Does It Take Away ?What Problems Does It Add To Your Li e?What Good Things Does It Take Away?l This group aims to assist people to make their own choicesabout what,i anything, they wish to change about their substance use.l This is a rolling group which takes new clients on a weeklybasis.

POsitiVe ChAnGesHow Can I Manage Cravings?How Can I Manage Tempting Thoughts?How Can I Develop My ConfdenceAnd Coping Skills?What Might Get In The Way?What Else Might Help You Achieve This?How Will I Keep This Going?l This o ers clients the opportunity to develop and managetheir plans or change, overcoming obstacles and developingcommitment.l This group takes new clients every six weeks.

ABstinenCeWhat Is The Next Step?How Can I Increase Importance Without Adding Stress?How Can I Build A Li estyle To SupportMy Recovery?What Are My Triggers And How Can I Manage These?How Can I Prevent Lapses Becoming Relapses?l This group aims to support people who have identifedabstinence as a goal. This group takes new clients every sixweeks.

WORkshOPs @ DhiSeries O Three Sessions FocusingOn Topics That Interact With Changes Around Substance Use.

top c Ar :Becoming Assertive;Improving Sel -esteem; Managing Emotions; Managing Stress

WOMens GROuPDrop - In Womens Support Group

ReLAPse PReVentiOn suPPORt GROuPDrop In Talking Support Group For Abstinent Clients.

BRieF 1-1 COunseLLinGAn Opportunity To Explore Drug Or Alcohol Use 1-1 With ACounsellor, Either To Help You Arrive At Your Decision Or ToMaintain Progress.l This service is available most days and some Evenings.


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W a O :sw do & so Glo .


so Glo . s rv c

tow r Road nor , Warmley

MOnDAY 10.00 - 1.00pm Ar Co r11.30 - 12.30pm Ac p c r1.00 - 2.30pm Op Gro p6.30 - 7.30pm P r s ppor Gro p

7.30 - 8.30pm Ac p c r tuesDAY 1.00 - 2.30pm Alco ol Co r6.00 - 7.30pm Gro p t r7.30 - 8.30pm Ac p c r

WeDnesDAY 11.30 - 12.00pm Ac p c r12.30 - 1.00pm Cl L c (prov d d)1.00 - 2.30pm i o Ac o Gro p3.00 - 4.00pm Cl Ac v y

thuRsDAY 10.00 - 12.00pm ho g Cl c1.00 - 2.00pm CJit Alco ol impac Programm (AiP)7.00 - 8.30pm Fam ly Gro p

FRiDAY 10.00 - 11.30am harm R d c o Cl c11.30 - 12.30pm Ac p c r1.00 - 2.00pm M d a o2pm h al y L c Cl b2.30 - 4.00pm s m la Gro p

t B galow , Yate (pictured, right)

MOnDAY 1.00 - 5.00pm t ro g Car Drop-

tuesDAY 11.30 - 12.30pm Ac p c r1.00 - 2.00pm Op Gro p7.00 - 8.30pm Fam ly Gro p

WeDnesDAY 11.30 - 12.30pm Ac p c r1.00 - 2.00pm Wom Gro p

thuRsDAY 1.30 - 2.30pm Cl L c (prov d d)

3.00 - 4.30pm i o Ac o Gro p5.00 - 6.00pm Ac p c r6.00 - 7.15pm R lap Pr v o Gro p

FRiDAY 11.00 - 12.30pm Alco ol Co r

sw do s rv c

MOnDAY 10.00 - 2.00pm 1:1 s o11.00 - 2.00pm Drop-11.00 - 2.00pm tr ag11.30 - 1.00pm s m la Gro p

tuesDAY

10.00 - 2.00pm 1:1 s o11.00 - 2.00pm Drop-11.00 - 2.00pm tr ag11.30 - 1.00pm t o g i o Ac o

WeDnesDAY 10.00 - 2.00pm 1:1 s o11.00 - 2.00pm Drop-11.00 - 2.00pm tr ag11.30 - 1.00pm R lap Pr v o

thuRsDAY 10.00 - 2.00pm 1:1 s o(women only)

11.00 - 2.00pm Drop- (women only)11.00 - 2.00pm tr ag (women only)

FRiDAY 10.00 - 2.00pm 1:1 s o11.00 - 2.00pm Drop-11.00 - 2.00pm tr ag

1:1 Sessions - Other appointments outside o these times areavailable to you at a place o your convenience.Triage - An initial assessment can be completed over the phoneMonday - Friday 9.00am - 5pm. Call us on 0800 970 4830.This number is ree rom call boxes and landlines.

25


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26

F a r

I have occasionally been asked why I like writing for this magazine, so I decidedto try to come up with an answer.Having given it some thought and found

various reasons, I should like to share my conclusions with you.

sa ac o g ara dMy rst thought was about the several WhatsYour Beef? columns I have contributed. Nodoubt some readers saw these as nothingmore than trivial moans and they mighthave a point, although I did try to keep themat least partly tongue in cheek. The fact isthat, whilst seeming to be just an excuse fora whinge, I found them extremely cathartic. Although they were not important in thegreat scheme of things, these beefs helped tostop trivial matters taking on a signi canceand importance they did not warrant, thusclearing my mind, allowing it to deal withmore important matters. I experiencea similar catharsis with the poems I

sometimes write, a couple of which haveappeared in the magazine. The good newsis that, after four beefs, I seem to have runout of grievances so Ill lie low for a while inthat area - watch that space, however!

My joy in reading a varied selection of books led me to take on the book reviews when asked. The chance to share my appreciation (or otherwise) of the books Ireview for each issue, mostly ones we haveread and discussed in DHIs Book Club, hasgiven me added pleasure. An extra bonusis that I can keep my hand in on the wordprocessor and other computer skills like usingthe Internet, sending emails, etc., making theprocess a kind of occupational therapy. Italso helps me to feel more at ease with other

people by working as part of a team.I dont deny the feeling of satisfaction and

pride I get from seeing something I have written in print with my name attached toit. I love moulding the English languageand pride myself on knowing how to useit sometimes to the point of pedantry,Im aware. (I do try not to in ict this onothers by correcting peoples speech; afterall, I dont speak like a book of Englishgrammar myself that would soundridiculous and contrived). I do also

nd it helps if I feel strongly about and believe in what I am writing. However, thegreatest feeling comes from the actual art of creation, plus being pleased with the result.If my work is suitable for publication, thatadds to the pleasure; if not, I have still hadthe joy of creating it.

i p ra o oo lav a cla m?It feels good when I feel inspired yes, thatis the word and I dont think its too lavish a

claim and it de nitely ful ls a creative need which I thought I had lost, something I had when I was younger, less alcohol dependentand less cynical. I used laughingly to agree with my literary hero, Oscar Wilde, that I wanted to grow old disgracefully, althoughhe didnt grow old, I mean! Now I amapproaching old age (some might say Imalready there) I have decided that I prefer todo it (fairly) gracefully.

The feeling of not being able to stopideas and words owing is rejuvenating, sosatisfying, if sometimes inconvenient. I meanif an idea about something I am in the processof creating pops into my head I nd I mustput it on paper, wherever I am and whateverIm doing at the time. I am known to pause

DVDs, break off in the middle of a book review even stop during a gym workoutor sit down in the street. Much of the time,however, I nd the words tend to ow straight from my mind onto the keyboard.I might go back and make alterationshere and there, but there is a fair amountof spontaneity involved. (Im never sure whether thats a good thing or not, but itseems to get the right result for me).

Al r a d Al vFrom the foregoing, it must be obvious thatthose two words just about sum up how I feelthrough writing for Off The Wall (or writing per se , come to that). Rediscovering my loveof writing, as well as working in a team, ishelping me to feel more satis ed, useful andcon dent. In fact, its been very interestingand instructive seeing in how many ways my time with OTW is proving so enjoyable as wellas so bene cial.

Some may not understand why I get

these feelings from such a source. Thatsunderstandable, as you may nd pleasure andful lment in different ways do whateverstimulates your interest, gets your adrenalinepumping, makes your toes twinkle! (DylanThomas). If writing appeals to you, though, why not try your hand at an article, story,poem or whatever for your magazine? Justcontact OTW or simply submit something inthe OTW box in the DHI computer/commonroom or at DHI reception.

Remember, Off The Wall is for ServiceUsers as well as by them. All that remains isfor me to thank DHI, Off The Wall and therest of the team for relighting the creativespark I thought had been extinguished whata hackneyed metaphor on which to end!

W y do i wr or O t Wall?

Asks J m t mo y.


27/28

JuLiAn hOuseManvers Street: 01225 354650Day C r :O ers tea and co ee/General advice/cooked meal 11.00until 11.45. Mon-Fri: 9.30 until 12.30. Sat: 9.30 until 1.00. Sunday closedn g s l r:Open every night 8pm-8.30pmOv rfow s l r:15-bed spaces at no charge. Open 10.30pm-7.30am.No booking required, rst come, rst served basis, deadline: 12.00am.

GenesisLunch Box, St Michaels Church (Opposite Waitrose)Mon-Wed: 12.30 until 1.30, Egg, bacon and sandwiches, tea andco ee (50p - 1). General advice.

sunDAY CentRe GenesisSunday: 1pm 5pm. Every Sunday o the year based at NexusMethodist Church, Nelson Place East, London

off the wall issue 15

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