DCMS Podcasts

#LetsTalkLoneliness podcast | Episode four - In conversation with Bob and Michael

Episode Summary

The #LetsTalkLoneliness podcast heads to Northampton, meeting Bob and Michael who have become firm friends thanks to the work of Northampton Town FC's Community Trust. Through the Tackling Loneliness Project, supported by the EFL Trust and DCMS, Bob Allen began reaching out to season ticket holders who might need support during the early days of the Coronavirus pandemic. Through such “befriending” calls, Bob struck up a conversation with 89 year old Michael Bull, who has followed the Cobblers since he was a teenager. In this special episode we join them for a cup of tea, a chat about their story and hear some of Michael's tales from a fascinating life.

Episode Notes

For top tips, advice and inspiring stories visit www.letstalkloneliness.co.uk and join the conversation on social media using #LetsTalkLoneliness.

The full transcript of this episode is available at www.dcms-podcasts.simplecast.com.

With thanks to Northampton Town FC Community Trust and the EFL Trust.

Episode Transcription

Good morning ladies and gentlemen, this is the Guard speaking. Welcome onto the 1015 London north-western railway service to Birmingham new street by Northampton. 

Today I'm here in Northampton to meet a couple of people with an amazing story to tell. Through the tackling loneliness together project run by Northampton town FC’s community trust. Bob Allen began reaching out to season ticket holders who might need support during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic last year. Through such befriending calls Bob struck up a conversation with 89 year old Michael Bull who's followed the cobblers since he was a teenager. Today they're going to talk to me about the companionship created through these regular calls and how vital it has been for the both of them over the last 18 months or so. Paul told me however that Michael is a man of many many stories so hope to hear some of those as well.

Hi there Michael? 

That's me. Bob’s already here.

Oh is he that's fantastic. How are you sir?

Not too bad 

Can I get you a cup of tea or a coffee?

I would love a cup of tea if there's one going that'd be amazing. Thank you.

He's had one of my cups of tea before, okay sit yourself down.

Well I do my best mate, I do my best 

Cheers, thank you very much 

I've got a copy of new york times this morning

yeah we were just talking about that.

You are an avid reader now are you?

There are some interesting bits I read

yeah cause you know, Michael was one of the ones that's featured in the article ever since he's been getting a free copy.

A free copy? Oh wow. You've done well there 

I don't get copy at all

Don't ya?

obviously not the same star of the story.

First thing I've got to blame about Bob is the lady at Sixfields who runs the shop, Wendy she’s a lovely lady. I think she put my name forward.

She did 

Basically what happened was I joined the club and they gave me a list of all the supporters . so the season ticket holders because the project was over 70s we just started selecting everybody over 70 which is about 1500 names and just worked our way through the list Yeah, and that's how I got on your name was on the list but the lady in the shop just said have a word with this bloke. He's a pain in the bum but he's generally all right. And that's how it started really. 

Would you still say that's accurate?

Pretty much

I think how it started I got a irregular heartbeat now and to get the cobblers I don't know you know the ground, you come out and you got some a lot of high steps then you got a hill that goes on and on and on and I was finding you know get halfway up there and I was (heavy breathing) and the wife had a parking thing because she got dementia so she died, so I took it and said im 80 odd, can I get one and she said yeah and I was really rough that day. She got a card so I used to go into see Wendy spare parking spot because it makes a whole lot of  difference I'm not I can  go but don't go as far as they used to or as fast

and that's the thing though isn't it  there's a lot of supporters who are over 70 and do have some mobility issues

I come in the category don't I, 89 

You're not doing too bad

This next year, isn't it, next year you're 90? 

April the 30th I was 89 so next april the 30th i'll be 90

Fantastic. So when, obviously like last year it's been difficult to get to places, get to games and things, when did you last get to get to the ground?

The last I got to see was when they had two games where they got a limited number of supporters you had to keep the distance and I didnt get my normal seat, it’s amazing, you watch your team regularly, the people around you become friends  yeah and i think i would argue I can integrate with people very easily.

You get over your shyness 

Yeah im very shy

 

You sort of you had that spot and as you say you knew you knew those people around you so obviously those friendships and stuff  that's part of the love of going to the game isn't it. Is that something that you particularly missed as well sort of those people that you would see sort of that kind of appointment viewing everyone 

Well you know we've been going on the on extra time groups, been going on zoom it's alright you know, but the last two mondays they've been up at six fields completely different.

What face to face?  

Yeah. They go into the bar there. And they got these big tables and they got six. So you know, there are three tables going. But there's, you better get a better reaction going on to it. We sit there waiting for a spot to somebody say what you want to you know, and that's what gets things going. Okay. There's a lad up there got a motorised wheelchair. But he's another person that integrates very easy

With COVID, all sorts of things, all what we, what we will look at social groups. Because the thing about football is it brings everything together. And like you said, everybody's got the seats in the ground when you talk to the people around you and social groups.

And I've been following the Cobblers for a few years now. 78 years.

Wow. Wow. Lots changed.

My dad was a keen football supporter with my mom. My dad was on what was then known as the Cobblers supporters committee, and organised the coaches for supporters that go away. But how I started I was 10. And because mum and dad wanted to go to the match they couldn't leave me on my own because I wasn't 12.  And they dragged me all the way across the racecourse kicking and screaming, I don't want to go to that football match im not into football, 

That's changed hasn't it?  Yeah, that started it

So when it started, last year, sort of ringing everybody sort of going through the list and giving everyone a call? What was the question?

For the first few it was, you're not quite sure what to say. But you see, so introduce yourself and then say, Yeah, I'd worked for Cobblers, and then that was it. That's fine. But yeah, it was a tough job

I've always got on with people 

Yeah, yeah. You've not really had that much problem with technology. I mean, in the early days, when people went on zoom, it was a bit of a struggle. Can't lie even I was struggling a little bit because zoom was not familiar to me either. But you kind of get once you once you get over the fear of what it is and what it does. Yeah, it's like with a lot of people they’re absolutely fine with it. Some of the guys that we've spoken to are just like no, not doing anything with that at all computers and don't go anywhere near them. But then you've got like, it's once people get used to doing it. 

One of the blokes in the 100 metres was an ex International, he just come up over to the over 50s so he must have been 51 and I was 65

He got starting he blocks the lot, you know. Alright up yours mate and I came in third 

Amazing 

I did it in 15.3 seconds 

It was great the atmosphere and camaraderie with the other veterans cause a lot hadn't seen each other since the championship finals the year before. Bloody hell are you still alive you old bugger. That's the sort of attitude you got. It was great. 

You gotta be like that 

I can tell you’re really, sort of a sociable animal, I guess it is like, just talking about the last year a little bit like that. That must have been difficult not to like you said, being really good at just having conversations with people and making friends and just, yeah, that social.

Going over to Rugby. 

Benny, there's a good boy 

How have you kept fit over the last last year or so doing lots of walks with the Dog? 

He takes me for a walk 

Oh he takes you for a walk does he 

Oh, well, yeah. Yeah.

The plan is always to have these walk and talk sessions as soon as we're able. But they never happened, because they're but they've started they've had a couple of walk and talk sessions. And the plan is to have more of those. So just visit other sites. And just take everybody out for a conversation and see what find your own nature walks and that sort of thing. Yeah. So that is that is probably still happening.

Have you been on been on any of those walks or just just

walks? Yeah. First week, they had me walking around the park, I had a plan, I don't know what I did, I changed the clocks or some new battery I’d set it an hour slow. So got up at nine o'clock. Got dressed, looked at the clock Hell, it's 10 o'clock. They moved the quarter past. So had my breakfast and took him for his walk. We went down to the zoo, is about six hours. But then, last two weeks, we've been off at Sixfields. And I was saying on Monday that they tried to arrange some outdoor activities. For somebody who's very active most of my life,with me work and my sports, I did Cricket, badminton, archery, running 

Fishing? 

Fishing.  

A little bit of fishing 

Did you like you said, saw it as a role in a way, a job I suppose to sort of like specifically working amongst it, where were your views of sort of loneliness and being lonely and that you still haven't quite had the same appreciation that I imagine you do now? And what it is and what it means?

It's a tricky one, isn't it? I mean, what one of the reasons I took on the job, my real job as an osteopath. So I see people from a wide range of ages. And, yeah, part of what I was doing was because I understood that people that were the older adults, I used to see, they, yeah, they just needed a bit of additional support, and encouragement. So actually, they're all to actually do all the stuff that Micheal’s already doing. The getting out and about you know, increasing activities  even people that don't see a lot of others, they just, you know, I think one of the one of the biggest things I noticed was talking to people about not being able to go to the shops, you know, and going to the shops used to be one of the big activities for the day and finding excuses to nip down the corner shop and get a pint of milk or something, and have a chat with the person in the shop. And you know, people weren't doing that. So yeah, it was that that was part of the reason. Why, I wanted to do it. Yeah, I always find talking to all around, which is just good fun. You know, because like I said, everyone's got stories to tell. And a lot of the time they don't get those stories out. There still some people call Yes. Got mobility issues, or they just don't, they're just not ready to go out. Yeah,

yeah, exactly. So part of your role, I guess over the last year has been working out what different people need and want and sort of the answer to them rather than just sort not a one size fits all. 

Definitely, not, it was always about because there were some people that were just happy to be on the phone, they didn't even want to get involved in the zoom sessions. There was a little bit more social, who got involved in the zoom sessions. And I just, I just know that certain people again, embrace all at once I get the walk and talks done, because going to Sixfields and going to the county ground as well and hopefully they'll be doing some talks with some of the cobblers players and the cobblers, to be fair to them, they were really really supportive for exactly those projects because every few months when they had some time they called the fans

been hoping to say, Well, why don't we get people to write down their memories at the cobblers . I used to talk to the people guy too and you learn stuff. Yeah. and its therapeutic. Yeah,

I just want one one final question. What's what's next really? sort of the next what how is it looking for is it sort of positive and like things reopening you got a football club to go back to and these things going on? Is it

I had to go and have a  hernia operation last year and went to see the surgeon and she said  god you’re fit for your age. I said, well, you're gotta have an ambition in life, I said yeah. I said well I so hope to reach live to be 100 and shot in bed by a jealous husband, and he cracked up and I thought get on the right side of the surgeon

Yeah always a good idea

Well, as you can probably hear it’s certainly quite a friendship that's blossomed between Bob and Michael. To tell you the truth, I’d happily have listened to their stories all day long. 

Remember if you know someone who could do with a chat, please do reach out it clearly clearly makes a world of difference.