An 100-year-old Stansted care home resident fulfilled her dream of going back to her old school.
Joan Grose, who lives at Moutchfitchet House, went back in time when staff organised a special visit to her former primary school.
Joan attended Fawbert and Barnard Infant and Nursery School in Sawbridgeworth in 1928.
Mountfitchet House staff organised a special outing for her after she expressed a wish to meet current students and reminisce about her own school days.
The experience, part of the care home's Wishing Tree Initiative, allowed Joan to tour her old school, meet some of the children, and sift through the old registers to find her and her brother Eric's names.
Joan said: "It was amazing to see so many little smiley faces – one little boy said I was 'magical' for being 100 which made me laugh.
"I was speechless at how big the school was compared to when I was there and amazed to see they still have the original gates for boys and girls where we used to line up!"
The Wishing Tree Initiative aims to make residents' wishes come true helping them reconnect with past careers or experiences or go on new adventures.
Joanna Duke, home manager at Mountfitchet House, said: "Joan loves to talk about her memories from her school days, so, when she shared that she was interested in revisiting her old primary school, the team knew they had to make it happen.
"Our wishing tree initiative is a great way for residents to share their dreams and interests, and it’s so rewarding to be able to make these a reality.
READ MORE
- The Waeve and Dana Gavanski to support Elbow at Heritage Live
- Musicians invited to take part in Thaxted Festival this summer
"Joan had a wonderful time taking a trip down memory lane and meeting some of the current pupils – she hasn’t stopped smiling since.
"I’d like to extend a big thank you to the team here at Mountfitchet House and Fawbert and Barnard Infant and Nursery School for a fantastic day and for making Joan’s wish come true!"
Mountfitchet House offers full-time residential, nursing, dementia, and short-term respite care, with amenities like a cinema, hair salon, with a café on hand for residents.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here