Shirley's Creations

This short film whisks us off on a sensory tour of nine Fantastic Places where we can adventure and explore.

Can you imagine climbing through some rough rocky places, up high with the birds, looking out to sea, breathing in the salty air and smelling the seaweed from a squelchy swamp below?

Where in this story can you find bright rainbow colours? Where’s your safest den? And when can you feel the freedom and quietness in your favourite place in nature?

These are all the Creations that are featured in this Virtual Tour…

• Our Fantastical Nature Village by Avril and some very creative pupils
• Evening Sunrise by Olli
• The Stone Game by Orla
• Sea Swamp by Gus
• Mr Rocky by Roo
• Wild Waterfall by Sofia
• Anghiari by Betty
• Bird in Italy by Lois
• My Dance by Shirley

This short film whisks us off on a sensory tour of nine Fantastic Places where we can adventure and explore.

Can you imagine climbing through some rough rocky places, up high with the birds, looking out to sea, breathing in the salty air and smelling the seaweed from a squelchy swamp below?

Where in this story can you find bright rainbow colours? Where’s your safest den? And when can you feel the freedom and quietness in your favourite place in nature?

These are all the Creations that are featured in this Virtual Tour…

• Our Fantastical Nature Village by Avril and some very creative pupils
• Evening Sunrise by Olli
• The Stone Game by Orla
• Sea Swamp by Gus
• Mr Rocky by Roo
• Wild Waterfall by Sofia
• Anghiari by Betty
• Bird in Italy by Lois
• My Dance by Shirley

This short film whisks us off on a sensory tour of nine Fantastic Places where we can adventure and explore.

Can you imagine climbing through some rough rocky places, up high with the birds, looking out to sea, breathing in the salty air and smelling the seaweed from a squelchy swamp below?

Where in this story can you find bright rainbow colours? Where’s your safest den? And when can you feel the freedom and quietness in your favourite place in nature?

These are all the Creations that are featured in this Virtual Tour…

• Our Fantastical Nature Village by Avril and some very creative pupils
• Evening Sunrise by Olli
• The Stone Game by Orla
• Sea Swamp by Gus
• Mr Rocky by Roo
• Wild Waterfall by Sofia
• Anghiari by Betty
• Bird in Italy by Lois
• My Dance by Shirley

I used to love dancing; dancing by myself and with my first husband when we were young.

I catch myself dancing now, imagining dancing in the fields amongst the flowers and the trees.

That’s my idea of heaven.

MY DANCE


When I was a child I danced in the sand, I danced in the park and I danced for the joy of life

When I was older I danced through the night with your arms around me holding me tight

And as I got older the pace slowed down but I danced and remembered the days that had gone

I still love the music, I still love the song but my memory has faded and my rhythm has gone

Will you dance for me now and will you sing for me too

Dancing forever and singing my songs for the joy that I had for the love that I shared,

...dance on...

Behind the house where I grew up there was a large pit, which we called ‘the pit’.

It was a dumping ground for barrows and other rubbish but it was a playground for myself, my sister and my brother.

We would climb up the barrows and hide between them. We hunted for beetles, woodlice, spiders, frogs, moths, butterflies and any other creatures that lived there. We also liked to sit on a bit of wood or metal and slide at great speed down the sides of the pit. Later a small racetrack was created for cycles, and along with our neighbours we enjoyed watching the races.

Then one day Bertram Mills Circus arrived with large caravans and trailers carrying lions, a tiger and some elephants. We watched them put up the big top, the acrobats practising and the juggler trying not to drop anything. At night we could hear the roar of the lions and the trumpeting of the elephants.

When the circus left the bulldozers arrived and pushed away the barrows and other debris, completely destroying our childhood playground. The ground was used to build the stadium for Southend United football club. We could hear the roar of the crowds from our house. Southend United football ground is still there today but we moved away.

My life has been taken in giant steps from one side of the country to the other, from Essex to Norfolk and finally to Devon, from school, working, marriage, having a family, retiring and into old age.

I still look out for the beetles, the woodlice, spiders, frogs, moths and butterflies. Although ‘the pit’ may have changed over the years I will always remember it as my fantastic place.