'Now tell me - how about you?' - Poetry to share with older people

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Kyle

A collection of original poems written from life in post-war Britain, designed to support visitors engaging older friends, relatives, or clients. Set across the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s, the poems encourage reminiscence—bringing laughter, smiles, and shared emotion. Notes called “Reminiscence Avenues” offer questions, prompts, quizzes, and vocabulary, plus suggestions for what to do together during and after visits, including for people living with dementia.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages100

Reading Time2 h 34 min

AccessFree to download

Foreword

Top Tips

Poems

Playing out

At the pictures

Winter

Hats, hats, hats

A night out

My garden

Beside the sea

Washday blues

Celebrations

Albert's pet shop

Shopping

On his hobby horse

Shades of Autumn

Acknowledgements

Now tell me -how about you? POET RY T O SHA REWITH OLDE R PE OPLE G I LL O HN SO N AN DMARILYN McGRE GOR Digitized by the Internet Archivein 2022 with funding fromKahle/Austin Foundation 362.24 # 'Now tell me-how about you?'Poetry to share with older people Gill Johnson and Marilyn McGregor This collection Copyright CBonnie Day Limited. Copyright on poems and prose remains with theauthors,Gill Johnson and Marilyn McGregor.All poems written by Gill Johnson. All rights reserved.No part of this publicationmay be reproduced,stored or introduced into anyretrieval system or transmitted in any form,byany means,electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recording or otherwise without the prior writtenpermission of Bonnie Day Limited.Any personwho does any unauthorised act in relation to thispublication may be liable to criminal prosecutionand civil claims for damages. # 'Now tell me-how about you?’ Poetry to share with older people Marilyn and Gill have worked in many care andnursing homes designing and delivering activitiesfor residents,including those living with dementia.Gill's original poetry is an importantpart of their work as it encourages reminiscence.Their company,Bonnie Day,is an organisationthat is highly acclaimed for work with olderpeople,carers and families. www.bonnie-day.co.uk # Foreword 'Now tell me-how about you?'is a collection oforiginal poems based on life in post-war Britain.They are written to support people who visitolder friends,relatives or clients and sometimesneed interesting topics to engage them.Set in the1940s,1950s and 1960s,the poems also promptreminiscence which can make you laugh,smileand sometimes even shed a tear together. 'Now tell me -how about you?'are poems thathave been enjoyed by older people,includingthose living with dementia,in care or in their ownhomes.We would like to share with you thiscollection of original poetry.We have first handexperience of enjoying these poems with olderpeople.We know how stimulating andcomforting they can be,wherever they are read. 'You have brought my husband back to me..'Arelative,after a poetry reading. 'Now tell me-how about you?'provides notesto help you talk about the poems with yourrelative.We call them 'Reminiscence Avenues'as they are ways to prompt memories.These‘Reminiscence Avenues'are presented indifferent forms,including questions,prompts,quizzes and useful vocabulary.We also suggestthings that you can do together during your visitand in the future. Very positive feedback from carers and familieshas encouraged us to make our poems availableto a wider audience. Enjoy reading these poems together. Contents Page Foreword 5 Top Tips 9 Poems: Playing out11At the pictures17Winter23Hats,hats,hats30A night out36My garden42Beside the sea47Washday blues52Celebrations59Albert's pet shop65Shopping73On his hobby horse80Shades of Autumn87Acknowledgements94 'Now tell me -how about you?' Poetry to share with older people

FAQs

What is the purpose of 'Now tell me - how about you?'

It is a collection of original poems intended to support people who visit older friends, relatives, or clients, offering engaging topics and encouraging reminiscence.

Who are the poems meant to be enjoyed by?

They have been enjoyed by older people, including those living with dementia, in care settings or at home.

What are “Reminiscence Avenues” in the book?

They are notes to help talk about the poems, presented through questions, prompts, quizzes, and useful vocabulary, along with suggestions for activities during and after visits.

Sep 29, 2026

Uploaded by Kyle