What vintage planes and cars revealed about Wokingham residents

With an average age of 88 years, a group of third-age explorers from Wokingham delved deep into their memories during a trip back in time to the 1940s at Brooklands Museum in Weybridge.

The stories that 92-year-old Jack Jones, 91-year-old Bessie Jared, 91-year-old Gladys Cover, 92-year-old Margaret Springford, 79-year-old Pam Eames and 80-year-old don Foxwell from Warren Lodge Care Centre came out with as they explored the sights and sounds of the war-time cars and planes revealed an unexpected side to their former lives – such as when Bessie pointed excitedly to a Bentley Mark VI and said that her husband had one of those and in exactly the same colour!

One of the most remarkable anecdotes came from Gladys when she saw a stripped-down plane in the aircraft hangar and explained ‘that’s what I used to do. I’d climb into the cockpit, line it with linen and then fit the dashboard and dials’.

Meanwhile, Jack Jones’ life-long passion for motor racing and tinkering with cars came shining through, especially when he saw a couple of models like the ones he had owned and done up.

“We learnt so much about our residents that we never knew, it was amazing. Everything we saw, from the wartime fashion to the exhibits, prompted a little story or anecdote, it was like having our own personal tour guides, they were fantastic. They got so much out of the day they’re still talking about it!” said Janine Wakefield, activities manager who organised the visit.

Warren Lodge is a 51 bedroom property set overlooking the Berkshire countryside. The home offers 24-hour residential care for people aged 65 and over, with a particular specialism in dementia care. Warren Lodge is part of the Forest Healthcare group of homes, that comprises 13 properties across the South East of England. For more information, please call 0118 973 4576 or visit www.foresthc.com

ENDS

For further media information or photographs, please contact:

Jay Commins or Sam Orange

Pyper York Limited

Tel:         01904 500698

Email:    jay@pyperyork.co.uk or sam@pyperyork.co.uk