Licence to thrill! Care home surprises retired racing driver with an Aston Martin trip around his hometown

A care home resident had an afternoon fuelled with memories from his time as a racing driver, after a surprise spin around his local town in the latest Aston Martin. 

John Morrell, a resident at Care UK’s Weald Heights, on Bourchier Close, was surprised to find himself back behind the wheel of a sports car, eagerly waiting to be taken on a trip around Sevenoaks. 

After learning about his time spent as a racing driver in the 1950s, the team at Weald Heights put their ideas into gear and planned a surprise outing to Aston Martin Sevenoaks. 

On the day, John, whose favourite car has always been Aston Martins and Austin Healeys, returned to the driver’s seat and learned more about the history of the brand from the dealership’s team. After sharing his memories spent as a racing driver John was treated to a surprise trip around Sevenoaks by a member of the dealership’s team. 

John, who lived in Singapore when he was younger, was inspired by the country’s passion for motorsports and decided to pursue his dream of becoming a racing driver. While living in the country, John took part in many racing tournaments where he enjoyed driving an Austin Healey 100 and the Jaguar XK 150. 

Commenting on the day, John said: “I thoroughly enjoyed this afternoon. It was a wonderful surprise and brought back so many happy memories from my racing days.”

 

Maria Covington, Home Manager at Weald Heights, said: “We were delighted to create a memorable afternoon for John, which fulfilled his passion for motoring while providing an opportunity to reminisce on his time spent as a racing driver.  

“At Weald Heights, we regularly create thoughtful activities and events that promote positive wellbeing among the residents. The whole team look forward to learning more about the wonderful experiences the residents have enjoyed throughout their lives and creating imaginative activities that build on their talents.

“It was wonderful to see the smile on John’s face as he was chauffeured around Sevenoaks in true James Bond style. Step aside Daniel Craig, I think we may have found the next 007!”

Weald Heights is a purpose-built care home designed to deliver luxury hotel-style comfort for residents, complete with a café, hair and beauty salon and cinema and garden. The home is divided into separate residential, nursing and dementia care suites, encouraging close-knit communities where residents can get to know each other, and where people with similar needs can be cared for together.

For more information on Weald Heights, please call Customer Relations Manager, Amelia Moore, on 01732 809 189, or email amelia.moore2@careuk.com.

For more general information, please visit: careuk.com/weald-heights