What’s on - Warwickshire resident share deeply personal stories set to music
SIX members of the Warwickshire community will share deeply personal stories next week in a special performance alongside the Orchestra of the Swan.
The Long Road – Journeys Through Life will include speakers who range in age from 25 to 80. They include Tony Lewis, founder of the 353 Foundation, and father of Conrad, who died aged 22 serving in Afghanistan, and Krystyna Allen, who is talking about her dementia journey with her beloved husband, Derrick.
Each story is characterised by a life-changing event, or series of events, and will include experiences of persecution, ill-health, disability, loss and dementia in what the organisers say will be a moving, and ultimately uplifting evening, that shines a light on what it means to be human.
Krystyna, from Langley, told Herald: “I’m not naturally a look-backer, or navel-contemplator, but this invitation, at 80, to share my life journey so far proved to be a golden opportunity. I am honoured and intrigued to be invited into this illustrious and inspiring group of people, and enjoy the wonderful music.”
Krystyna’s father was a distinguished Polish pilot, who broke out of occupied Poland to walk across Europe to join the free Polish Air Force. He was captured and imprisoned, but managed to escape.
Krystyna was born in June 1944 during the Normandy landings, where her father was on escort duty. He did not know about her safe arrival until later that month.
“After the war, Daddy realised he could not go home, and so he became a British citizen and served with the RAF,” she said. “I was studying at Newcastle Teacher Training College when I met Derrick, a cadet officer in the RAF, who was studying dentistry at Newcastle University.
“For over 40 years, Derrick and I travelled from RAF posting to posting. Our time in Germany spanned the whole of the Cold War and we were always at a high state of vigilance. It seems appropriate we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary in Berlin, witnessing the fall of the wall.
“We moved to Warwickshire, and decided, aged 65, the time had come to do a gap year, running a dental practice in Mwanza, Tanzania. It was an amazing, life-changing experience.
“The ratio of dentists to patients was one to 85,000 people. I became known as ‘Hot Mamma’, not for the reason you might imagine, but because I was often called upon to troubleshoot, acting as receptionist, and deputy dental surgery assistant, swabbing down between patients, as HIV infection was rife.
“Once back in the UK we bought a narrowboat and for the next 16 years travelled the canal systems. We lived next door to our lovely family on top of a Warwickshire hill and shared the lives of our grandchildren and their progress through life.
“Derrick and I were a team. As Covid waned, I noticed that Derrick was showing signs of finding ordinary life harder. He was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. I decided to make sure Derrick and I enjoyed life as long as he could, whilst it was still possible. He was still able to enjoy his days and knew he was loved and admired – even if he couldn’t put a name to the kind and caring people. Then in February this year, my daughter and I decided we could no longer keep him safe – he was frequently deeply anxious, muddled and unhappy and he was packing to leave ‘for home’ each day and we decided to move him to the Royal Star and Garter home in Solihull for armed service veterans.
“Having satisfied myself that Derrick was happy, settled and being wonderfully cared for in his new home, I have begun a new life. I started an Open University degree to study history for the next six years. I’m trying, for the third time, to learn the piano, I have a book club – Stratford Literary Festival’s wonderful Books with Friends – Singing for Joy, lawn bowls, and I am joining Broughton Castle as a room guide next year. I’m going into an infant class to share books; I have an electric bike that I’m not finished with yet, and I have adopted a little Northern Irish rescue dog.
“Knowing that my dear husband is happy, safe, valued and loved by those who care for him, I can KBO – ‘Keep Buggering On’ – as my father’s hero, Churchill used to say.
“I am delighted to be sharing a stage with Orchestra of the Swan and all the inspirational speakers: Emma Brown, flautist and disability activist; Saeedeh Mohamadzeh, a 34-year-old Iranian refugee; Jane James, writer/comedian and breast cancer patient, and Antony Lewis – father of Conrad Lewis, and founder of 353 charity.”
David Le Page, artistic director of the Orchestra of the Swan, has woven an empathetic programme of Baroque music that illuminates each story, featuring music by Rameau, Corelli, Buxtehude, Bach, Purcell, and Handel.
The Long Road – Journeys Through Life with the Orchestra of the Swan is on Tuesday, 12th November, 7pm at Stratford Playhouse. Tickets from www.orchestraoftheswan.org.
