Mrs Atkins remembers  is a 7 minute radio play set in White Cliff’s Rest Home where an Occupational Therapist attempts to lead the demented residents: Mrs Atkins, Col. Halliburton, Michael, Catherine and the Vicar in a ‘Down Memory Lane’ session. ‘Dementia’ means the state of being out of one’s mind and here out of the coercive official mindset of remembrance of the 2014 Centenary of the start of WW1.

Subverting the ‘therapeutic’ plans for happy memories, the residents and the Vicar – in their fay conversation – bring up dangerous memories of homosexuality in the ranks, court martial and military execution of shell-shocked soldiers, and carpet-bombing – and the recurring and final question: why?   

I drew on family memories of my grandfather, stories from my father, WW1 nurses’ accounts; a photograph of carpet-bombing; and my own experience of working with NST school heritage tours in Flanders and Picardy.

The play first aired on Sunny Govan Radio on Remembrance Sunday 2013, then on SubCity Radio (University of Glasgow) the following day on The Vile Arts Show, hosted by Gareth Vile. On You Tube you can find a recording with the original cast at the very lively Synod Hall of St Mary's Cathedral, Glasgow, on Remembrance Sunday 2014 and this recording, with a younger cast, forms part of An Evening of Peace, organised by Philanthobeats on 30th December 2014 on the theme of the WW1 Christmas Truce.

To listen to the play, click on the Christmas Truce video picture link, below.

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