Introduction

Citation

Winship, G. (2018), "Introduction", Therapeutic Communities: The International Journal of Therapeutic Communities, Vol. 39 No. 1, pp. 1-1. https://doi.org/10.1108/TC-02-2018-0004

This opening 2018 edition of the journal features a special issue, and I am grateful to Richard Shuker and Jon Taylor for steering this through to realisation. Just by way of house-keeping, I wanted to alert colleagues to the UK Annual Windsor Conference which this year celebrates its 40th year. It will take place at Cumberland Lodge on 12-14 November. Cumberland Lodge is the Royal Hunting Lodge next to the late Queen Mother’s home in Great Windsor Park and for the duration of the conference, TC colleagues take over the establishment. It may sometimes appear to be paradoxical that a left inspired movement like Therapeutic Communities (TCs) has found a spiritual home in the bosom of the monarchy, but it is worth noting that it was in the library in Cumberland Lodge on 11 December 1936, that Prime Minister Baldwin met with Edward VII to supervise him signing his abdication. You see, democracy in the UK presides over the monarchy, while at the same time preserving it. It was the late Stuart Whiteley that originally negotiated our TC access to Cumberland Lodge. Stuart used to tell the story of once meeting the Queen Mother whereupon being asked by her to explain what TCs were, Stuart offered an effusive and breathless summary which lasted perhaps a couple of minutes. When he was finished apparently the Queen Mother quite calmly leaned in towards Stuart and said; “Human nature, it doesn’t change”. So, you are invited to this year’s special anniversary Windsor Conference, booking through TCTC, where we are hoping there will be an international cross-generational delegation, where you can contemplate human nature, converse with the living and the beyond, and create a history of tomorrow.