Joy Parker

In 2012 I started an exploration into the life of my grandmother who spent most of her adult life in Bristol Lunatic Asylum diagnosed with Chronic Schizophrenia. I knew very little about her. I only had a few sepia photographs of her and I knew that once I sat on her lap in the asylum. I was taken as a baby to visit her as it was thought I was too young to be disturbed by the experience - but I was certainly disturbed by the  lack of information and discussion of her in our lives - how I even got to know the basic facts I don't know as I don't remember ever being told. So this is my journey - told in more detail in my book Gertrude which can be bought for £8.50 plus p&p by contacting me.