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| Once upon a time, in a land far-far away | Once upon a time, in a land far-far away |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| By Claire Bates | By Claire Bates |
| Here when I'm not - parents can record stories for their childrenHow do you read your children their favourite bedtime story from thousands of miles away in a conflict zone? With the help of a laptop, some recording equipment and a spare stationery cupboard the Army is trying to bring absent parents home for a few minutes each evening. | Here when I'm not - parents can record stories for their childrenHow do you read your children their favourite bedtime story from thousands of miles away in a conflict zone? With the help of a laptop, some recording equipment and a spare stationery cupboard the Army is trying to bring absent parents home for a few minutes each evening. |
| Today's emphasis on foreign deployments makes British Army life tough. | Today's emphasis on foreign deployments makes British Army life tough. |
| Tough on the soldier who - with the demands on so few, covering so many conflicts - barely has weeks between the rotation of operational tours. But tough also on the families left behind. | Tough on the soldier who - with the demands on so few, covering so many conflicts - barely has weeks between the rotation of operational tours. But tough also on the families left behind. |
| Four-year-old Sophie Brown is like any other. With her straw-blonde hair, perfect rows of grinning milk teeth and an infectious belly laugh, she is a happy, well-adjusted little girl. But for more than a quarter of her life, she's had no Daddy to read her a bedtime story. | Four-year-old Sophie Brown is like any other. With her straw-blonde hair, perfect rows of grinning milk teeth and an infectious belly laugh, she is a happy, well-adjusted little girl. But for more than a quarter of her life, she's had no Daddy to read her a bedtime story. |
| Daddy is a soldier. | Daddy is a soldier. |
| It doesn't take a child psychologist to tell you that separation from a parent can have a detrimental effect on a child. But prolonged and sporadic absences like those suffered by children of service personnel can be the most damaging. | It doesn't take a child psychologist to tell you that separation from a parent can have a detrimental effect on a child. But prolonged and sporadic absences like those suffered by children of service personnel can be the most damaging. |
| 'I'm sorry I'm not here to read it, but hopefully this will give you a smile' Now, though, the Army has a project to return absent parents to their children's' bedsides for just a few minutes each evening. | |
| Storybook Soldiers was inspired by Storybook Dads, which was first established at Dartmoor Prison three years ago. Kirsty Alderson, an ex-Army officer who now works at an Army Education Centre based in Wiltshire, was at an award ceremony in London almost a year ago and found herself sitting next to the team from Storybook Dads. | Storybook Soldiers was inspired by Storybook Dads, which was first established at Dartmoor Prison three years ago. Kirsty Alderson, an ex-Army officer who now works at an Army Education Centre based in Wiltshire, was at an award ceremony in London almost a year ago and found herself sitting next to the team from Storybook Dads. |
| "I chatted to them and they explained their underlying aim was to maintain contact between parents in prison and their children - precisely what the Army strives to do for its families. | "I chatted to them and they explained their underlying aim was to maintain contact between parents in prison and their children - precisely what the Army strives to do for its families. |
| "We had won £1,500 prize money at the event and slowly the seed was planted in my mind that we could do a version of their scheme for soldiers," she said. | "We had won £1,500 prize money at the event and slowly the seed was planted in my mind that we could do a version of their scheme for soldiers," she said. |
| Within months, Kirsty and a team of volunteers had travelled to Dartmoor to learn more, and had bought recording equipment, laptops, editing software and discs, before commandeering a stationery cupboard at the barracks in Tidworth. | Within months, Kirsty and a team of volunteers had travelled to Dartmoor to learn more, and had bought recording equipment, laptops, editing software and discs, before commandeering a stationery cupboard at the barracks in Tidworth. |
| Private insight | Private insight |
| As April approached and the Tidworth regiments began making the move to Iraq, word of the scheme got round and the first, slightly hesitant, soldiers peered around her door. | As April approached and the Tidworth regiments began making the move to Iraq, word of the scheme got round and the first, slightly hesitant, soldiers peered around her door. |
| British troops remain committed to serving in Iraq"You have to be quite sensitive when they are making their recordings," she smiled. "You see these people - mainly men - day-to-day and well, they are soldiers who do a tough job, and yet here they are reading fairy tales in a cupboard! | British troops remain committed to serving in Iraq"You have to be quite sensitive when they are making their recordings," she smiled. "You see these people - mainly men - day-to-day and well, they are soldiers who do a tough job, and yet here they are reading fairy tales in a cupboard! |
| "You have to be sensitive too, because it is a real insight into their private lives and into their relationship with their child, which is very personal. | "You have to be sensitive too, because it is a real insight into their private lives and into their relationship with their child, which is very personal. |
| "Also, when they're reading the stories I think it really hits home exactly what they are about to do - and it's hard for them." | "Also, when they're reading the stories I think it really hits home exactly what they are about to do - and it's hard for them." |
| It's mainly fathers, but there are mothers too. They read the tales and Kirsty and her team then add music and sound effects and make a proper CD case with animated cover. | It's mainly fathers, but there are mothers too. They read the tales and Kirsty and her team then add music and sound effects and make a proper CD case with animated cover. |
| Rosemary Meeke, one of the Storybook Soldiers team, says: "We have had people recording stories for everything from unborn babies, to eight-year-olds, from all ranks, from privates to colonels and from all units too. | Rosemary Meeke, one of the Storybook Soldiers team, says: "We have had people recording stories for everything from unborn babies, to eight-year-olds, from all ranks, from privates to colonels and from all units too. |
| "One soldier even made up his own story - he got quite carried away and brought in characters from other stories and different plots. It was all very Roald Dahl!" | "One soldier even made up his own story - he got quite carried away and brought in characters from other stories and different plots. It was all very Roald Dahl!" |
| Offset burden | Offset burden |
| Michael "Ginge" Brown was in no doubt he wanted to leave Sophie with her very own memory of Daddy when he headed off to Basra this spring. | Michael "Ginge" Brown was in no doubt he wanted to leave Sophie with her very own memory of Daddy when he headed off to Basra this spring. |
| Michael 'Ginge' Brown reads for his daughterA warrant officer with the Engineers, he has had a busy career. | Michael 'Ginge' Brown reads for his daughterA warrant officer with the Engineers, he has had a busy career. |
| "I was in Iraq last summer as well as this. I've done 11 years in Northern Ireland, six months in Bosnia, Kosovo and the Falklands and I just feel that I can't contribute as much as I'd like with the children. | "I was in Iraq last summer as well as this. I've done 11 years in Northern Ireland, six months in Bosnia, Kosovo and the Falklands and I just feel that I can't contribute as much as I'd like with the children. |
| "Storybook Soldiers seemed like an idyllic way of both trying to offset the burden of my wife Shirley being the sole carer for our family and of Soph being able to keep a little piece of Daddy." | "Storybook Soldiers seemed like an idyllic way of both trying to offset the burden of my wife Shirley being the sole carer for our family and of Soph being able to keep a little piece of Daddy." |
| Home for two precious weeks of R&R, Brown explained that such is the word-of-mouth popularity of the scheme that one of the padres out in Basra had gathered up a collection of children's books and was helping those who missed out before deployment to record a tale while based in Iraq. | Home for two precious weeks of R&R, Brown explained that such is the word-of-mouth popularity of the scheme that one of the padres out in Basra had gathered up a collection of children's books and was helping those who missed out before deployment to record a tale while based in Iraq. |
| It can be punishing for them though. | It can be punishing for them though. |
| In temperatures pushing over 50 degrees Celsius, the precious air conditioning unit has to be switched off because its buzz affects the levels. | In temperatures pushing over 50 degrees Celsius, the precious air conditioning unit has to be switched off because its buzz affects the levels. |
| "It's a bit of a man test," he laughed. | "It's a bit of a man test," he laughed. |
| Plans to expand | Plans to expand |
| The Army Welfare Service has welcomed the scheme, saying it can only have a positive effect on children who find it hard to understand why daddy, and sometimes mummy, is not always there. | The Army Welfare Service has welcomed the scheme, saying it can only have a positive effect on children who find it hard to understand why daddy, and sometimes mummy, is not always there. |
| And given the volatile nature of an operational tour in Basra, there is an undoubted benefit for those who have lost loved ones in having a permanent recording of their voice. | |
| Rosemary said: "It's not only nice for the children to hear their daddy, but the mothers find it a comfort too." | Rosemary said: "It's not only nice for the children to hear their daddy, but the mothers find it a comfort too." |
| The team now plans to take Storybook Soldiers to Germany where despite a staggered scaling back, there are still thousands of UK troops based who also deploy on operations. | The team now plans to take Storybook Soldiers to Germany where despite a staggered scaling back, there are still thousands of UK troops based who also deploy on operations. |
| "We're so excited that it's taken off," said Kirsty. | "We're so excited that it's taken off," said Kirsty. |
| So does Sophie enjoy her Charlie and Lola and Thomas The Tank Engine Tales? | So does Sophie enjoy her Charlie and Lola and Thomas The Tank Engine Tales? |
| "Yes. They're very nice," she answered coyly. | "Yes. They're very nice," she answered coyly. |
| And does it make her feel closer to Daddy? | And does it make her feel closer to Daddy? |
| "Yes. And that's very nice too thank you." | "Yes. And that's very nice too thank you." |
Send us your comments using the form below. | Send us your comments using the form below. |