Along the way, I met some incredible people and had the chance to share stories, swap experiences and learn more about how being outdoors can really lift your spirits, especially if you're living with dementia or supporting someone who is. I'm also a singer and songwriter, so you might hear a few musical threads running through these episodes too.
These little episodes are a way to pass that all on. Think of them as a flask of tea and a piece of cake on a picnic blanket, short, sweet and full of the good stuff.
Whether you're planning your own big green picnic or just looking for simple ways to connect with nature and to each other, I hope this gives you a few ideas and sparks some lovely moments.
Our sponsor, Right at Home, is committed to helping people live independently and happily in their own homes and communities, making them the ideal partner for this celebration of nature, community and connection. So grab a cuppa, settle in, and let's discover together how small moments outdoors can make a big difference.
There's something about music in the open air. A song hummed while walking, a favourite tune that drifts from a radio on a park bench, or even just the rhythm of your own footsteps.It becomes part of the landscape.
For me, music isn't just about listening, it's about feeling something.
It lifts me, centres me, and so often connects me to memories or to the people I love.
In this episode, we're exploring music and other meaningful activities, the things that bring color and creativity to our lives and how they can deepen the joy of being outdoors.
We'll revisit a few musical moments from my walk and hear from some truly special guests, including the brilliant Tony Christie, who remind us that the power of music never fades.
Later on, Gordon will bring in some lovely, simple ways to bring music and creativity into your next picnic.
Sometimes music just sneaks up on you. One moment you're walking through misty hills and the next you're singing to the cows. Here's a little moment I captured a tune that made itself up as I went. As I was walking through the field I thought of this song.
Harriet On The Trail:
[Singing] If they could see me now the friends I've left behind. I'm walking through fields with cloud cows, cows. [Singing ends]
Let me do that again [Singing] if they could see me now the friends I've left behind walking through fields with cows. Crossing the cliffs so high [Singing ends]
Yeah, because those are two of my fears. Cows, heights. Here's another song I've just made up. So there's lots of. There's lots of steps to get round the bay at Carpis. Here's my song.
[Singing] I love climbing steps with a 10k backpack on I love climbing steps when the day's begun. [Singing ends]
That's it.
Harriet:
I had the great joy of meeting Tony Christie during this journey.
A musical icon and now an ambassador for Music for Dementia, Tony spoke candidly about his diagnosis and the powerful role music continues to play in his life.
Tony Christie:
One of the things, when I went to see the doctor about it, she said she's very lucky because she. You're in the music business and music is one thing that helps.
It takes people's brain away from worrying and if they hear music, they listen to the music.
Harriet On The Trail:
Yeah. There's a lot of neuroscientific evidence to show that when we're participating in music, our brain is firing on all cylinders.
And that's really, I think, what is the benefit of music, apart from also, I think, its ability to connect us?
Tony Christie:
Yeah, I think so, yeah. I mean, it hasn't affected my singing at all. It's not affecting my voice, to be quite honest with you. For I.
I have a screen on when I'm working with my lyrics for the songs, because I do, you know, when I've recorded so many songs and albums and I do album tracks, I can't remember lyrics. You know, I'm not going to spoil the show for the audience because. So I have a screen with my lyrics and I've done that for 15, 20 years.
Harriet:
What Tony shows us is that life doesn't end with a diagnosis. There's still joy to be found, songs to be sung and rooms to fill with music. Sometimes the most powerful musical moments are the quietest.
This one stayed with me for a long time.
Anne McKiernan runs a musical memory cafe in Biddeford, and she told me this story about a woman with advanced dementia and the moment a poem turned song brought her fully into the present.
Anne McKiernan:
A retired GP, Richard, who's amazing, went off and did a course on storytelling and reading poetry. And so I, of course, invited him to come to our Christmas party. So Richard came and he was reading poetry and then he said, now I'm going to - and he's very quietly spoken - I'm going to sing the next poem. And amongst the cafe members, there was one lady who used to come with her partner and her sister and brother in law.
And this lady used to be a great singer, years ago, she loved music, but she was far down her dementia pathway.
And he started to sing The Owl and the Pussycat went to sea in a beautiful pea green boat. And as he carried on, we realised suddenly that there were two voices and no one moved.
It was, it was just spellbinding, he realised and he leant forward slightly towards her. She had her eyes closed and she was singing with him. He had reached down into that moment and she sang the whole thing with him with her eyes closed.
Harriet:
Now let's hear from Michael Timmons, CEO of the brilliant charity Playlist for Life. Their work helps people living with dementia take tap into the power of personally meaningful music with benefits backed by decades of research.
Michael Timmons:
It can improve moods, well being, it can help improve communication and connection and it can reduce some of the most distressing symptoms of dementia that people might find challenging. So anxiety and distress and it can even reduce the need for medication, which is incredible.
And for other people, it can just give them a sense of comfort and bring a smile and bring a sense of joy to someone.
So, yeah, we've seen all of these benefits and people in our own work over the last 11 years, for people who maybe haven't spoken for six months suddenly finding words again to communicate with their husband or their wife. I think that's because music is so special. It's the way it's, you know, wired and written in the brain.
It's like when you listen to a song that's personally meaningful.
It's like a firework display of activity going off inside the brain, of connections been made and reaching parts of the brain and firing off memories and. Yeah, and the emotions connected to those memories. So, yeah, in terms of when people can use it, it's really individual and it's up to each person.
I think that's the key thing about playlists is they can be used at any time they're available. Once it's created, it can be used 24/7 or at the moments where a person needs.
ordon from Dementia Adventure:
I'm Gordon and here are some ideas to make your picnic really special. Music is one of the simplest and most powerful things that you can bring to a picnic.
It can set the mood, unlock memories or just lift everyone's spirits.
I always suggest creating a playlist, not just any music, but songs that really, really mean something to the people coming along that might be a tune from somebody's youth a track that reminds them of dancing or even their wedding song. The Charity Playlist for Life has brilliant tools to help you build these kinds of playlists.
You can pop the songs on a speaker or just play one or two quietly during part of the event. It's all about connection. The right song at the right moment can transform somebody's day.
Even something like bringing along a gentle drum shaker or bell can stimulate interest or create a shared connection with music.
Harriet:
Music brings people together and it's something I couldn't live without.
Whether it's a shared hum on a quiet path or a sing along at a care home, these moments of melody and rhythm stay with us and can connect us across generations. Thanks for joining me on this snack sized episode of the D Tour.
Next time we'll be diving into the topic of connection, companionship and what it means to belong. And if you'd like to hear more from the original D Tour podcast, just head to Dtour.uk that's d t o u r dot uk see you next time.
