Responding to Paul’s text about a childhood memory:

“I remember the school I went to from the age of nine to twelve.

There was a traditional playground and a large hall. I remember standing on the stage and being in Mary Poppins. I made a huge image of St Paul’s Cathedral in charcoal and attaching it to a medical screen as a backdrop for ‘Feed the Birds’. And turned the head teacher’s lectern into a fireplace for the same play. I was also in charge of changing the lights. The switches were in a huge box on the wall with slides that took the light levels up and down.

I stayed at that school for three years. If I had never returned, I would have slight but happy memories.

However, I returned twice. The first time was to meet my old teachers. I went with some friends and said hallo and then felt a bit lost. We were too old to be there. There was nothing to do. The place already felt strange. The steps were very small. The school hall was not large at all. The lighting cupboard was a small box. The stage where we had performed Mary Poppins was not that far from the ground. I decided not to go back.

But I did go back twenty-two years later. I was working for a housing campaign. It was 1988. It was the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis and it was a period when anyone diagnosed with AIDS was almost certainly going to die. One of the most pioneering approaches to supporting people living with AIDS was being built in Lancaster Gate. The project was called the London Lighthouse and it was being built inside my old primary school. I mentioned to a colleague that I knew the building. It turned out that she was friends with one of the people leading the development, so I went along for a guided tour.”

Alex’s response to my daydream text:

Horniman Park  20/6/2020

Green, white, blue

Shifting, cloud grey

Above earth, below sky,

Gong sound reverberates

Sound waves, beginning again,

Warm rays, yellow light,

Peace, happy, birds chatter,

Boy bird, white balloons,

Child wonder, investigates.

Behind dad, orange shorts

Masked man, tiny dog

Barefoot play,

Oak tree thoughts,

Thousand year song

Prepare the ground with your hopes

And I’m feeling good.