NOTHING else quite like it has been produced anywhere in this country. This is the book and play that has come out of care homes and covid, conversations with older folk, remembering, sometimes sad, often funny.

It grew from an idea of Philip Robinson’s and at the book launch in The Bookery at Crediton, Philip explained how it began and how he took a line from Puck in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” for the title.

He explained: “Think back to 15 or 16 months ago when lockdown had begun and it became clear that the arts, music and theatre world was taking a different form.

“Things were more focussed in the community and when I was thinking about what to focus on, things were coming up about care homes.

“We used to live next to one and this seemed the way forward - to work with care homes. Once I began working with the older people it was amazing,” said Philip.

“Everyone had stories about being old or having elderly parents or grand parents. I was immensely moved and in fits of laughter and this became the framework of the play which has been touring and from this came the book,” he added. The play “All is Mended” will be back at Crediton Arts Centre in December.

He added: “It is about me when I get old and about you when you get old.”

Pippa Marriott is a story teller who curated and edited the stories for the book “A Little Bit of Magic, Care Home Conversations in Covid Times“ which is available at The Bookery.

She said she would not have spent so long in care homes, talking in the garden, in the wind and rain but for the project. “We kept going because of this story. People thought back on their lives, a lot of the stories were about love and dreams and relationships,” she said.

A colleague of Philip’s, Pippa is from Bridford in the Teign Valley. She recorded all the conversations.

The All is Mended Project is in partnership with Crediton Arts Centre. The front cover of the book is a drawing of Titania while the painting on the back cover is about living in Cornwall.

Pieces from the book were read at the launch by Jan Hookway with six and three quarters year old Esah Bleham of Exeter and nine and a half years old Luchia Howell of Crediton.