NANETTE NEWMAN MY VIEW

The actress on how old films and TV shows can stimulate dementia sufferers’ memories

Sitting down occasionally to watch a classic British film is so relaxing, and invariably brings lovely memories flooding back. But I was fascinated to learn recently that it can also be positively beneficial for those living with some form of memory loss.

Watching a British comedy or drama from yesteryear – be it an Ealing comedy, or a Michael Caine thriller on a TV channel dedicated to movie classics, such as Talking Pictures – I’m always struck by how quiet the streets of London look compared to now. And how everyone seemed able to walk down the street without clutching a bottle of water. How times change!

Nowadays, people forget that we had a very successful film industry in the decades after the war, and I was lucky enough to star in a number of movies made at that time, some of which were directed by my late husband Bryan Forbes.

Some films from those days now seem rather dated – particularly those Second World War films featuring stiff-upper-lipped British Army officers talking disparagingly about the Bosch. The special effects were admittedly rather wanting, but you have to remember that in those days pictures were usually made on a shoestring. Many, however, such as Bryan’s directorial debut, the classic Whistle Down The Wind (1961) – about three Lancashire children who discover a fugitive hiding in their barn – still stand the test of time.

I’m lucky to have always had a pretty good memory, but I hear, and I think it’s wonderful news, that the BBC has seemingly found a way to harness the power of old TV shows and films to help people suffering from dementia. Scenes from shows such as A Question Of Sport and John Craven’s Newsround plus old news clips have been put on an experimental website called RemArc – which stands for Reminiscence Archive.

Dr Norman Alm, part of a research team at Dundee and St Andrews universities, who helped the BBC with the project, found that such footage can prove more effective stimulation than personal items such as family albums in triggering memories. And it’s not just seeing the films themselves that help, it’s seeing the fashions from the time, as well as hearing the cut-glass accents.

So next time I happen to catch such a film, it’s nice to know that someone somewhere living with dementia or another form of memory loss may also be watching – and perhaps doing themselves the power of good. For more details, visit bbc.co.uk/taster/projects/ remarc and click ‘Try it’.