Page 14 - Community Living Magazine 30-3

InterVIew
enD oF An erA – very noisy café on Birmingham
Station. He had travelled from Preston
AnD StArt oF A and Elinor from London. “I asked him if
he was interested in editing this and he
new one said, ‘Yes’. It was quite a niche thing
at the time because a lot of services
were still being run in a very traditional
elinor Harbridge is retiring after a way.” I suggest that it was brave to
remarkable 30 years as founder, publisher turn a ferce critic into an ally.
and editor of Community Living Magazine, “Yes, I suppose you could say that,”
she laughs, “but his criticism
handing the reins to Simon Jarrett. was justifed.”
It has had its ups and downs over those
years but it has outlived other magazines and, as she told Community Living magazine launched
Seán kelly, perhaps just surviving these days is a success. in April 1987. There was nothing like it
and the number of subscribers shot up
(Photos: Seán Kelly) during the frst few years. When David
Brandon became busier with other
things Elinor became the editor, but he
first met Elinor when I was “Who wrote this rubbish?” remained involved.
I CEO at the Elfrida Society, The frst seeds of Community Living
an early supporter and were planted when Elinor was Better design
sponsor of the magazine. working for Community Care magazine In 1999 Elinor met Christina
In 2005 it was decided in 1979. The editor asked her to go to Schwabenland, CEO of the Elfrida
that Elfrida would take Huyton, where there was a home for Society based in Islington. This led to
on the publishing of people with learning diffculties run by the Elfrida Society giving fnancial
Community Living. As part of a religious order. She wrote an article support to the magazine as well as
the process I asked Elinor which, she says,“was about how lovely contributing articles. Later the Elfrida
about contingency plans it was and how happy the people Society took over the publishing of
for producing the magazine were.” The editor seemed pleased the magazine. An Editorial Advisory
if she should become ill. and the story ran. She didn’t get any Board was established gathering other
I think I imagined a feedback… except a phone call from charities and individuals. An external
journalist friend who might David Brandon. A colleague took the designer introduced better design and
step in as editor at short call but she could hear him from some use of colour – superfcial changes
notice. Elinor gave me a distance away. The gist of it was: perhaps but ones that undeniably
stern look which quickly “Who wrote this rubbish?” appealed to an increasingly
helped me understand that, “That was my frst introduction to David sophisticated readership.
for her, becoming ill was not and it was a wake-up call,” she says. Elinor says: “We got good articles
on the cards – or perhaps the from Elfrida people. I now had an
message was that if she did editorial board which was great.
become ill she would just I was getting proper support and very
continue. It was clear that we have given people useful input from people who really
she did not consider this an with learning diffculties a knew what was going on and were
ordinary job where you could voice in the magazine and doing the sort of things we wanted to
ring in sick – this was a promoted the whole publicise in the magazine. It was a
commitment of body and self-advocacy movement. very good period.” On the other
soul. I pictured her with all I think we do that more hand, she was not the sole owner
four limbs encased in plaster strongly than others. or decision-maker any more.
like some television comedy “That was quite a hard thing
casualty, still dictating her to learn. So I had that dual feeling
editorial to a young about it.”
reporter with a notebook. Elinor felt she would like to do
Luckily, that never came something to address the issues that Meanwhile Andrew Holman had
to pass and she has carried people with learning diffculties were become the editor of Community Living.
on producing the magazine facing. Then in 1987 the moment was Elinor says, “Andrew took a leading
quarterly for a full right. She had already started a speech role in the magazine in the late 1990s
three decades. therapy magazine (Speech Therapy In and early 2000s. He was a strong
Practice which she later sold) under the supporter of people with learning
Elinor lives with her two rescue dogs, house name of Hexagon Publishing. diffculties. As well as his keen
Heidi and Kit, in the lovely village of Now she wanted to start a interest in politics he did a great
Dunster near the Somerset coast. campaigning magazine for people deal to promote the idea of direct
Along with my wife, Mary, I took up a with learning diffculties and she knew payments.” After a couple of years
long-standing invitation to visit her and who she wanted to be the editor. Andrew developed his own company,
to hear her story frst-hand. David Brandon and Elinor met in a Inspired Services, and Elinor became

12 Vol 30 No 3 | Spring 2017 Community Living www.cl-initiatives.co.uk