Karen Brown

I live here at the Meath all my friends are here. I am here because I have jumps and fall over lots, my wheelchair helps me get around. I have epilepsy but had a seizure a long time ago. I feel nervous of walking its hard to stand still because I can’t balance. Soon I’m going to wear a helmet, it’s a good idea to help when I fall over. Sometimes I hurt myself on my head. My arm was in a sling cause I fell over in my bedroom, I got up myself and its getting better. My walking is also getting better now.

I like The ARTHOUSE its good fun, we enjoy ourselves, we have music and that, I bring my CD’s and I like Cliff Richard. Rachel works me hard, that’s good cause it’s good to work hard. Philip is in The ARTHOUSE, he paints when I paint. I did a tortoise once. I know lots of things about the tortoise. I was proud, very proud indeed. It was at an exhibition. I was very pleased with myself. I like painting best, well I draw it then paint it in, so I do it together. I’m happy with myself but sometimes I get really cross with myself cause I lose my temper but I like to be jolly.

Danny O'Sullivan

My name’s Danny, I enjoy doing everything in the ARTHOUSE, I don’t mind, whatever they want done, I’ll do it. I did a dog, a Jack Russell painting. I had a dog once that was a Jack Russell. I can do houses, churches, anything. I paint, doesn’t bother me, I’ll do anything.

I work with whichever staff is there, they tell me what to do and I do it. I have hobbies outside the Meath. I work in a café in the mornings, I don’t mind that, I enjoy it and I walk down there. I do wood work with Rob and, before Rob, was another man but my memories not the best I don’t remember his name.

I make anything, you name it, I’ve done it. I like it in The ARTHOUSE, relaxed, easygoing, if it’s too hard I don’t mind, the harder they come the harder they go. Might be slow bit it’s good in the end. I’m pleased in the end.

Danny O’Sullivan

Sarah Harbott

I live at The Meath, I have lived here a long time. I do The ARTHOUSE on Mondays painting, I do boats, that’s my favourite. I go out sometimes, to London, to the art exhibitions, that gives me ideas…

There are happy people in The ARTHOUSE. I done one painting that’s a circus, I did it from a book.

I like using all colours; red and gold, I like them. I like the paint best in The ARTHOUSE.

Staff help us in The ARTHOUSE. I feel happy, I look forward to it…
My works been up, that makes me happy like seeing it on the wall. I show my friends round in The ARTHOUSE, my work on the wall. Karen, my friend, she’s alright, she likes my art.

Sarah Harbott

Johnathan Soloman

I came to live at the Meath in 2001 after my partner started to find it more and more difficult dealing with my seizures and the baggage that came with me, also my fits were not under control. I remember the evening I arrived at the Meath, looking up at the drive at the big white house, it all seemed so weird and unreal but I soon found the place isn’t as bad at is seemed, most the staff and residents are very friendly. I do have a group of special friends here and my key-worker is really cool! Not only because she’s Metallica’s No.1 fan!

When the ARTHOUSE opened in 2006 I soon found I could start to channel my anger from the big chip on my shoulder about having epilepsy from an early age. I enjoy doing epilepsy awareness work best in the ARTHOUSE. I hope people look at my awareness work and it makes them stop and think.

Johnathan Soloman

Dog by Margaret Mace

My name is Margaret Mace, I was born in Norfolk and Norwich Hospital in 1946 and lived in Norfolk all my life until I came to the Meath Home some years ago. I was brought up in Bradwell where I went to school, I had my accident when I was 14 and that is when I became epileptic which was a shock. On 15th February I’ll be 63 this year.
I came to The ARTHOUSE and found it relaxes me and I can have a laugh and a joke.
When I was painting a picture of that dog on the table and the cakes, I said, “they must have stuck him to the table to stop him pouncing on the cakes and eating it all”. I hope you enjoy the picture.

Margaret Mace

Sebastian Bennett

At night I was asleep and my head went dizzy I pressed the call buzzer and a night staff came to see how I was and I had fall out of bed because of my epilepsy.

I have dizziness I have dreams, sometimes I have a headache and I have a seizure and I got up and my forehead hit the wall I wasn’t too happy with my seizure.

My first day at The Meath was on Wednesday 25th May 2006. The Meath is a nice place I am glad I got a key worker because I like my Key worker Lauren McKenna, Lauren makes me happy and helps me.

Sebastian Bennett

Mel Young

When I first came to the Meath it was in the first few weeks of 2005, I came because I had just lost my parents and there was nowhere for me to live as the family home had to be sold.

I was a bit daunted when I first arrived here as there were so many different people! However once moved into my particular unit I found I was welcomed at every turn.

In my first Summer here ‘Simone Jeacock’ suggested to me that I go to bereavement counselling as I had found myself getting more and more depressed, I tried it and it did the trick, although I still miss my family everyday I have found a new and different kind of family willing to offer their support in every way. I do have epilepsy too and although I have had help and care from staff here I can no longer go to the town on my own but I do have a close circle of friends here who can accompany me.

Mel Young

Peter Andrews

I live with Martin, Johnathan, Ian and myself. I really enjoy having friends around with me. Normally my paintings and stuff I do so that people can buy them. I love it, cause it calms me down. Cause I love painting and art, drawing. I like it when I’m trying to relax, cause one day this year I could not relax, I was so tense it was so painful but the art has helped.

It’s the only art area that helps me relax. And I felt really hard to get myself out of tense, but now I have relaxed all my body inside me is relaxed because of The ARTHOUSE.

My family, my Mum and Dad, they love me, they, my Mum was a painter she gave all her painting equipment, paints and stuff to this Arthouse. My brother, his name is John, he’s got a picture I painted in his own flat he bought from The ARTHOUSE. He is really proud of me cause I did it.

Peter Andrews