Hale care home has a wicket time with cricket champion

Sisters at a care home in Hale enjoyed an afternoon tea with a cricket legend.

Rose and Maureen Fitzgibbon, sisters who live at Care UK’s Halecroft Grange, on Hale Road, were delighted to find cricketer Sir Clive Lloyd, a former West Indies cricket team captain, in their lounge ready to greet them with afternoon tea.

The trio were treated to homemade sandwiches and cakes made by the home’s head chef, which everyone enjoyed while watching a classic game of cricket from Clive’s sporting days. Keen to know all the behind-the-scenes details, the duo quizzed Clive on his favourite moments and top tips on the pitch.

Sir Clive Lloyd played cricket professionally from 1964 to 1986. Born in Guyana, he became the West Indies cricket team captain, while also playing for Lancashire, where Rose was a secretary at Old Trafford, Lancashire Cricket Club. In 2020, Clive was knighted for his contributions to cricket, including managing, coaching, refereeing, and commentating.

Rose/Maureen said: “It was lovely to see Sir Clive again and catch up on our past. Cricket has been a part of my life for many years, and I’ve known Clive for as long as I can remember. Although I’m a little too old to play now, I still enjoy watching it!”

Suzi Sumegi, General Manager at Halecroft Grange, said: “We were delighted to welcome Sir Clive Lloyd to Halecroft Grange and hear all about his sporting achievements from his impressive career. Both Rose and Maureen really enjoyed spending time with a legend of their favourite sport and it was wonderful seeing the trio share their passion for all things cricket.

“Here at Halecroft Grange, we are always looking for ways to help residents to stay connected to their favourite hobbies. We would like to say a big thank you to Sir Clive Lloyd for coming to the home and creating such a memorable day for Rose and Maureen.”

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Halecroft Grange, which remains open to potential residents, incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities. The building has been configured into a series of neighbourhoods to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities and encourage social interaction among the residents.

For more information on Halecroft Grange, please email the Director of Community Relations, Sharon Parkes, on sharon.parkes@careuk.com or call 0161 8202 779. 

For more general information, please visit: careuk.com/halecroft-grange