12 GEORGE JOSEPH summary

BRIEF INTRODUCTION &  HISTORICAL NOTES
 
 
 
 
Built in 1934, Shenley Hospital was the third and last mental hospital in Middlesex
and part of a “village” system of ward blocks, spread across many acres of grounds.
It provided 2,000 beds and 15 padded rooms. Of the 24 Villas, two had enclosed gardens.
Enclosure of the gardens being effected by six feet of iron railings with locking gates.
 
It was thought to be highly progressive during that period. The first was Springfields at Tooting built in 1841 with 1805 beds. The second was Napsbury at London Colney built in 1905 with 1964 beds. It was also one of the leading centres for training and practice for psychiatry and other professions and helped to lead the way in the modernising of mental health.
 
During the war years, for a considerable periods , Shenley took all female admissions
from Napsbury catchment area in North Middlesex in order to relieve over-crowding. Therefore, within five years Shenley hospital was provided had increased its population
which it subsequently added to over the following years..
 
At Shenley, post-war developments and changes in staff attitude only started to produce visible results until 1957, when the peak of the patient population of 2370 started to decline. This decline continued until February 1998 when the hospital finally closed.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PLEASE NOTE
This is a brief resume of the interview, not a summary of the contents in sequential order.
 
 
DVCPro Tapes 01 to 03 –VHS Tape 01 to 01
 
 
CHILDHOOD/ FAMILY BACKGROUND
 
George Andrew Joseph age forty- one and of Caribbean parentage, was born on 16th August 1958 in Paddington, London. His parents Ruth and Raymond Joseph came to London from Grenada in the Eastern Caribbean and lived in the Harlesden, North London area.
 
He has two brothers currently alive, Garfield who is the eldest and Roy who is married with two children, and one older sister who is called Gemma who was born in Grenada.
His other brother Ron who was the youngest and a car mechanic died at aged twenty-four/ twenty-five three years ago. He lived in Stonebridge, where he shared a flat with his brother Roy in Harlseden, Brent.
 
His mother was a dress-maker and always worked at home, as was the custom for many immigrant women with children during that period. His father worked at the BBC as a service technician.
 
His mother and father returned to Grenada where they bought a house in 1985, but his father died in 1997. George talked about his disappointment when he was unable to attend his fathers funeral in Grenada because he was still under the section forty-one of the Mental Health Act (1983).His  hope is that he will be able to visit his mother one day.
 
He had a good relationship with his sister and brothers. They were like friends and remembered how they often played football in the garden. His brother Garfield currently lives in Neasden and his sister Gemma who lived in Cricklewood now lives in Kilburn.
 
 
EDUCATION
 
George attended Kensal Rise Primary School and Cheyne Welling Secondary School.
He had experienced much difficulties in terms of reading and was told that he was dyslexic. He was sent to a special school where he received help to improve his reading and provided support with his emotional behaviour. He thought that perhaps if his mother had supported him more with his reading at home instead of beating him; he may have been able to cope better at school.
 
George understood what the purpose of the special school was and felt that because he wasn’t educated like the other children in his class he was viewed as being a “dummy”.
In spite of this stigma, he was not teased by his friends. His parents, being aware of his difficulties in learning, was pleased that he was sent to a special school. He felt that this was because his parents wanted him to do well so that he will get employment which would then help them with the mortgage of their family home.
 
George said he went to Kilburn Boy’s Grammar School which later changed to a comprehensive. He left school at fourteen without any qualifications.
 
He enjoyed football as goalkeeper and swimming in Queens Park. His other leisure activities including attending a scouts club and playing music.
 
He also during his educational period, did a paper round and a number of Saturday jobs such as a shelf stacker.   
 
 
EMPLOYMENT
 
His first job was as a factory worker putting metals in a hot oven where they made metal springs which is used in pens and exercise equipment. He stayed for five weeks.
 
Consequently, he became unemployed for approximately one year. His friend assisted him in finding another job working in a tyre factory where he remained for two years - a job he says he enjoyed.
 
Having regular work was important, so as to help his parents with the repayment for the mortgage. It was generally expected that all his brothers and sister made a financial contribution to the home provided they were working.
 
He subsequently went on to work in Colindale in a factory called Allied Manufacturers.
After which he went to work in another factory where they made wardrobes where he stayed for one year and a half.
 
 
LEISURE AND RELATIONSHIP
 
George who was twenty-one at the time, worked in a furniture factory where he formed a relationship with a girl called Julie Roon who had a daughter for another man. George felt that although he loved Julie, the relationship did not last for more than a year was because she wanted him to stay at home. He felt that this kind of responsibility wasn’t for him as he was too young to stay at home whilst his friends were having a fun-time going out to clubs etc..
 
He spent his leisure time playing music and assisting his brother Roy in a mobile disco which was a sound system called “Supreme A” in the nineteen seventies. They often went to buy records in Ladboke Grove and Shepherds Bush in West London and Stoke Newington in North London. The type of music played included reggae, soul and funk. Publicity was done on black community radios such as Beat FM, Unique FM and Choice FM. The custom was to travel to different parts of England to play their music-sometimes referred to as a mobile disco.
 
George also enjoyed clubbing at the Metro, Club Norwich in Tottenham and Colombo in Carnaby Street. On Thursday nights he would go to dances in Wood Green and Leytonstone.
 
He also did some DJ-ing and also played in a band called “Brimstone” and would rehearse and play at different clubs- such as the 100 Club in the West End. He also had the opportunity to travel abroad to Belgium to record an LP. He was however, unable to complete the recording because of an argument with the producer. He subsequently left the group.
 
 


BRIXTON PRISON
 
George’s experiences with the mental health system started with getting him into financial difficulties with the criminal justice system because he did not have enough monies to pay his bills after only been given £30.00 supplementary benefit. His explanation was that he went to the social security to explain his situation and wasn’t listened to. So he got into an argument about his financial difficulties which resulted in the police being called, He was  arrested and imprisoned in Brixton Prison for  four months on the grounds that he was a danger to himself and to others.
 
During his detention at Brixton, George stated that he was forcefully given medication which made him unwell causing him much pain to the extent that he often I had to scream because of the severity of the side effects. He noted that he observed that he felt better when he did not take the medication. He would sometimes steal food from the prison kitchen because he was often hungry. If caught, he and would be given medication which he often refused but would be forcibly held down and injected by officers which made him even more mentally unwell.
 
He was however, able to survive by taking heed of advice given by other cell mates that he should keep his head down if he wanted to get out of prison and not give up. He talked about his observation of a fellow prisoner (white) who he shared a cell with. His cellmate was so mentally unwell that one day he jumped down a stairwell in the hope that he can escape, but instead he broke his legs. He was so injured that he had excreted faeces and urine in his bed. This experience says George, was one of the most offensive experiences he had ever encountered in prison.   
 
 His concern was that the medication was given deliberately to make him and other prisoners go “crazy”. He wasn’t aware that there were side effects to these drugs and it wasn’t until after four months that he realised that his strange behaviour was due to the side-effects of the drugs that he was given. This type of behaviour was a common experience for many other prisoners.
 
He was sent to the medical wing of Brixton Prison where two doctors assessed him, and  was sectioned under section 3 of the Mental Health Act (1983) who gave him a diagnosis of schizophrenia . George stated that his family were unaware of these experiences. 
 
His time in Brixton was spent most of the time smoking cigarette which was regularly sent to him by his girlfriend and parents. In coping with his boredom, he would often walk around in circle for about half an hour as a form of exercise. He talked about how the routine of the prison was flexible in terms of families being allowed to bring in food, beers and cigarettes. This flexibility in terms of access was reduced following the allegations that the IRA was bringing in the guns into prisons.
 
His case was heard at the crown court, supported by a duty solicitor whom George said was not good at his job where he was subsequently transferred to Shenley Hospital.
 
George has been a revolving door prisoner at Brixton Prison which always led to him being transferred to Shenley hospital. 
 
 
SHENLEY
 
Arriving in Shenley, he was sent to Villa 1A with dormitories, where he stayed for three weeks. Four people slept in one room, one of which he also shared. Patients were occupied through art and physical exercise.
Villa 1A was changed its name to MA1.He then spent some time on other wards such as Villa 4 for approximately nine months to a year.
 
George’s first impression of Shenley was one of shock, he recalled how when he walked into the dormitory was “Oh my God, what am I doing here? At nights he was very scared as the atmosphere in his room which was very spooky. He would often sleep with his sheet over his head.
 
His social life at Shenley included attending activities such as dancing and singing at The King George V Hall. He also used the Alpha cafe which was used as a social place for patients to meet with  their friends and would talk about their circumstances.
 
Some of the nurses were nice, whilst others were not so nice and walked around with a “chip” on their shoulders. They would sometimes try to “set you up” with other patients to fight each other. Should this happen they would jump on you and forcibly inject you- this happened to him on four occasions along with a number of threats by nurses should he refuse to take his medication.
 
The meals provided was the normal routine meal provided, starting with breakfast where patients had cereal, a boiled egg and as much bread as you want. Lunch was mainly fish with parsley sauce, with boiled potatoes, peas or carrots.
 
His experience of this type of treatment was to fight back as he saw himself as a “free spirit” - in the end he had to give in as he wasn’t prepared to be continually injected.
 
Culturally, there were very few black patients with about three in number. He made friends with other patients who were positive.
 
His medication included Largactil which made him more mentally unwell, along with medication for the side effects.
 
His way of coping was to listen to other patients about the kind of support they were receiving such as having a social worker which should have been accessible to all patients.
 
As a result he sought information from his doctor and requested that he be considered for a social worker who enabled him to work in the grounds of the hospital and refilling cans and valves for lighters. He was paid seven pounds for working from Monday to Friday.
 
As his progress was maintained and he was no longer fighting against the “system”, he was able to have day leave to visit his brother Garfield in Chalking Estate, Harlesden. He was able to stay until 10pm before he returned to the hospital.
 
 
PARK ROYAL CENTRE FOR MENTAL HEALTH
 
George was transferred from Shenley to Park Royal in 1992/93 and is currently on section thirty seven and forty-one, which means he has to get the Home Office permission before he is allowed to stay out of the hospital for any length of time.
 
He was able to visit Park Royal before transfer so he had some idea as to what the place was going to be like. He was subsequently transferred to Willow ward, which was meant to be a rehabilitation ward where he stayed for eight months. He described the condition as one where some patients were very unwell, with some continuously screaming whilst others  would make it a habit of throwing cigarette ends on the floor.
 
He remained with the diagnosis of Schizophrenia and Largactil as the medication.
 
It was whilst being on Willow ward that he over heard nurses talking about a unit called Juniper Lodge. He decided to talk to the doctors about a possible transfer and was successful.
 
 
JUNIPER LODGE
 
George who was transferred to Juniper Lodge and have been there for six months at the time of the interview awaiting further transfer to a six bed group housing.
 
At Juniper Lodge, George along with six other patients (five black and two white) came from other wards within Park Royal. They are supported in doing their own cooking, shopping, cleaning etc. He feels a sense of belonging. They all would be going to the group house when it becomes available.
 
Juniper is different to Willow ward, as patients are given more responsibilities to organise your life. Patients are also given opportunities to attend activities and outings outside in the wider community. Regular staff and patient meetings are held every day to monitor how the group is progressing and who will be cooking, cleaning, shopping etc.
 
George is still on a diagnosis of schizophrenia with a change of medication which includes  Clozapin and Largactil. He is concerned about the excessive weight which he has gained over the past years but realised it would be difficult to reduce because it is due to the side effects of the drugs..
 
He confirmed that his survival is due to him taking the approach “Keeping his ears to the ground” is one of the ways through which he is able to survive. He also ensured that he avoided patients who thought in a negative way and only made friends with those who are positive. His main aim is to get out of Park Royal.
 
In terms of relationship on the wards, George agreed that sometimes this could be difficult, because of the restrictions by nurses. He confessed that sometimes he would see a female patient whom he thinks is nice, but is reluctant to make friendship.
 
George is keen to work so that he can earn some money to buy the things he need such as a car so that he can buy a mini cab as he also enjoys driving. Although George has never kept in touch with his mother since she went to Grenada. His wish is to visit his mother in Grenada in the Caribbean before she dies.
 
He is aware of user groups such as The Brent User Group otherwise referred to as” BUG”.
He often gets copies of their newsletters with the different courses or activities which they provide.
 
George talked about his religious belief, starting of his first contact with religion as a child as his parents were Catholic. Also whilst attending a Saturday school in Ladbroke Grove, West London. The school was run by Catholic Nuns. He was therefore used to reading the bible and taking first communion. He believes that in spite of the fact that he has done wrong/ bad things it is his belief in God which has also helped him to cope thus far.
 
Recently attended a motor maintenance course for a year at Copeland School in Wembley Park., which he  quite enjoyed.
 
His brother Garfield visits him occasionally. George feels that his brother Roy is thought to be ashamed of him because he is no longer the person he used to be in terms of his size etc. Although this is George’s explanation, he also qualified Roy’s absence by saying that Roy is a very hard-working man and therefore he is unable to get the time to visit him.
 
George expressed concern about the increased number of young black men going into the mental health system via the prisons. His aspiration for the black community is for black people to achieve like Trevor McDonald and other successful people.
 
He hopes that the new millennium will help him to maintain his “free spirit of freedom” as he moves on to the wider community in Craven Park group house.
 
 
 
 
 
 
INTERVIEW ENDS