I'm Not Dead Yet

I’m Not Dead Yet examines the experience of being an elderly citizen in our culture and which highlights the way older people are generally written off, ignored or forgotten.

The project lasted several years, progressing into an Arts Council funded project with BBC Voices in 2013. I started this series of portraits because I felt there was a loss of knowledge and understanding about our elders. Their history is being forgotten. They are the last surviving generation from the Second World War and they have many stories to tell us and things to teach us.

Cecilia

At my sister’s 99th birthday someone said to her, are you going to make it to 100? She said, ‘Oh no I don’t think I can be bothered’ ... that was typical of her, she always took life very easy.

Christine - Steam Engine Driver

It’s the sound, the smell, the steam, the fire... it’s the steam or nothing... the brakes sound like a heart beat.

Anthonio

I would like to die with the husband of a beautiful woman running after me with a shotgun.

Anthonio Sketch

Patricia

I do Body Pump and Spinning and my boss wants me to tell you about my theory of tying children to lamp posts.

David

Science is a creative and social activity, very different from the stereotype of a scientist as a lone ‘boffin’ in a white coat and glasses who never has fun in the lab.

Frank

If I think I look smart, I feel better.

Helen

When they were ready to go to university, I went too, we used to study and share notes together... I was good friends with my boys.

Matty

I trained the synchronised swimming team that went to the Olympics in Los Angeles. When I moved to Belgium I became the Belgian national coach and went with them to the Olympics in Seoul in Korea.

Norman

They were all mortar boards, and gowns, and mostly not great teachers, we used to see how much ink we could flick on their gowns as they walked past.

Bill