BEYOND

WORDS

The Beyond Words Project is a partnership between

Cruse Bereavement Care and the Stroke Association

which is funded by Big Lottery Fund NI.

The Belfast Area Friendship Group was the first group

established under the project three years ago. The

group offers friendship and peer support to anyone who

has been bereaved. It is testament to the members of

the group, how many new members have joined and

found comfort and support in the darkness of grief.

Community Arts Partnership, “This Is Me” project, gave

some members of the group the opportunity to learn

new skills in photography and also enjoy days out trying

out these new skills.

We hope you enjoy this book of selected images

from our group.

BEYOND WORDS

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The Friendship Group is the story of

opening up a conversation

taking me out of my shell, my home, my isolation

the support of friends when grief puts on a brave face

a hole in the heart

the shedding of tears every night

it is the story of turning lives around

a new family

a family built on an island called friendship

having a laugh

good craic

bringing me from that dark place on a lifeboat called ‘life’

a new chapter

a beautiful and nurturing word – friendship’

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BEYOND WORDS

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BEYOND WORDS 3

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JOHN CAULFIELD

I HEAR HER

VOICE “ARE

YOU MAKING

THE TEA?”

Through Beyond

Words I began

writing poetry

and in the writing

found my voice

and a path to

healing.

4

BEYOND WORDS

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Making The Tea

The cold of the morning brought with it the rain.

I had already been out for the papers,

The Mirror for her, for the racing pages,

The Star for me, for the competitions.

I hear her voice, “ Are you making the tea? “

Two cups and saucers sit comfortable on the small tray,

putting tea bags and spilling sugar into them, listening

as the kettle bubbles to a climax then clicks back to silence.

Pour in the water and stir to brew the tea, milk;

blending the darkness into light.

Carry the tray to the living room and set both cups alongside our papers.

Reading my paper I blow on the tea for coolness.

Something catches my eye so I read a bit longer than usual.

Take my emptied cup and used up paper to the kitchen,

then go back and pick up her unread paper, and the cold cup of tea.

John Caulfield

BEYOND WORDS 5

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WHEN THERE

ARE DARK

SHADOWS

LOOK FOR

THE LIGHT

When my wife

Eileen died I

found myself in a

very dark world.

Almost a year to

the day I went to

my first Friendship

Group meeting, so

afraid and alone. I

could not imagine

the journey that

began with that

first step.

6

BEYOND WORDS

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CRANES

NESTING

Dormitories under

construction

outside the Ulster

University, Belfast.

BEYOND WORDS 7

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LILIAN COWAN

BANTRY BAY

I love being outdoors. This brings back happy

memories of a lovely holiday in Bantry with

good friends. Taken on an early morning walk

– it was so beautiful.

8

BEYOND WORDS

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VIOLAS

One of my

favourite flowers

and also the

symbol of Cruse.

All different little

faces – I always

have pots of them

in my garden.

BEYOND WORDS 9

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POSTCARD

Reminds me of

the postcards

we used to send

from holidays!

The Cathedral

Quarter and old

Belfast as we used

to know it!

10

BEYOND WORDS

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THE FENCE

Taken at Oxford

Island on a

beautiful, misty,

autumn morning.

With bird-watching

friends – beside

the lough – Robins

feeding from seeds

in your hand –

BLISS.

BEYOND WORDS 11

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MARIE CROOKSHANKS

AVENUES AND

ALLEYWAYS

Umbrellas floating

down an entry in

the Cathedral

Quarter, Belfast.

12

BEYOND WORDS

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AUTUMN

STAR

Shining brightly,

flower in Wallace

Park, Lisburn.

BEYOND WORDS 13

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PETUNIA

CASCADE

Colourful and

snowy display.

Wallace Park,

Lisburn.

14

BEYOND WORDS

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CAN-CAN

DANCERS

In all their finery

putting on a

show. Wallace

Park, Lisburn.

BEYOND WORDS 15

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RAY FILLMORE

ENGINEERING

BEAUTY

We walk under

things like this

everyday but rarely

see them.

16

BEYOND WORDS

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BANTRY

HOUSE

It was worth

climbing 100

steps for such a

beautiful view!

BEYOND WORDS 17

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MY NEIGHBOURS

MAC AND

DONALD

Early morning mist in the

garden. Fresh cobwebs

and barbed wire.

18

BEYOND WORDS

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GARNISH

ISLAND –

GLENGARRIFF

An oriental garden

but in Ireland –

beautiful reflections

of mountains

and trees.

BEYOND WORDS 19

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LINDA NIXON

THE LUTHER

20

BEYOND WORDS

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THE LUTHER

On the 18th August 1966 I met the love of my life, my Davy. He proposed to me nine days later and we were

engaged within 6 weeks. We both knew it was for life. We used to go for long walks up the Mountain Loney,

to the gate of the wee Luther. It was a beautiful church nestled at the foot of the Black Mountain. Inside it was

like a dolls house, with gleaming brass, red carpet and shiny wood. We often talked of the day we would be

married there. Our dream finally came true on the 3rd April 1967. We went on to have one son David and three

daughters, Debbie, Katrina and Roslyn and eventually nine grandchildren. Due to the Troubles the font and bell of

the Luther were taken away for safe keeping. However the building was sadly destroyed. A week before our 44th

wedding anniversary my Davy suffered a cardiac arrest and died. We were all devastated. About four weeks later

my brother and sister-in-law took me to a cafe, and there hanging on the wall was a photo of the wee Luther. My

brother told the owner of the cafe my story. She took the photo down and sent it to me. This photo takes pride

of place in my home. I look at it and remember back all those years ago. I know my Davy would have loved it.

Linda Nixon

BEYOND WORDS 21

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JOS BRADDELL

& SON

A place where my

late husband Davy

always loved to

spend time getting

his fishing gear. He

spent ages on it.

So on a trip to the

Cathedral Quarter

it brought back so

many memories.

22

BEYOND WORDS

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FEATHER IN

THE BUSHES

I have always

believed that a

white feather is a

sign that our loved

ones are with us so

on a trip to Bangor

with the group I

was so pleased to

see this one just

sitting in the bushes

reminding me that

our loved ones

are near.

BEYOND WORDS 23

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ELEANOR ELLERSIE

THE FRIEND AT HAND

I was struck by the name of this pub. If the

Friendship Group was to open a pub, this would

be the perfect name!

24

BEYOND WORDS

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BANGOR BOATS AWAY

I spent a lot of childhood days in Bangor

as my grandparents lived there. “Bangor

Boats Away” was always a song they sang

and I sang it to my children too.

BEYOND WORDS 25

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THE SEAGULL

We all spent quite

a while trying to

photograph this

seagull and he

finally stood still

long enough for

me to get this!

26

BEYOND WORDS

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BEAUTY IN THE

REFLECTION

I just love this

structure and I was

playing around with

the camera after our

first session and just

loved the effect of

the reflection.

BEYOND WORDS 27

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TOT – TEDDY ON TOUR

We had a little

friend called

TOT that came

on many of our

outings. He

got up to many

adventures.

28

BEYOND WORDS

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BEYOND WORDS 29

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BEYOND WORDS

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MAY THE

ADVENTURES

CONTINUE!

BEYOND WORDS 31

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BEYOND WORDS