Stockport care home launches gentleman’s club with a trip down memory lane

A care home in Stockport organised a surprise trip for its newly formed gentlemen's club.

The team at Care UK’s Ladybrook Manor, on Dairyground Road, treated residents to a day out to the Imperial War Museum in Manchester. 

After learning that resident Kevin Brennan 95 had served in the military in his youth, including in RAF, and has a keen interest in engineering and wanted to see a tank close up – the team knew the perfect place to visit.

The day trip to the museum was also the perfect outing to launch the home’s Gentleman’s Club. The club, which is designed to promote companionship, will see the team plan monthly trips based on an interest or hobby of one of the residents – the perfect excuse for male residents to spend time together and chat about shared hobbies.  

On the day, Kevin and 5 fellow residents visited various exhibitions, including War through the ages, where many stories were shared. Joining Kevin on the day was resident, Edward Underwood 94 who shared stories of his days in the Royal Artillery. Edward recalled how he was stranded in London when he had lost his documents and spent a month on guard duty in Knightsbridge.  

Residents also enjoyed the World War One exhibition which sparked many conversations as they discussed how their fathers had fought in WW1 and the experiences they had shared. 

Edward said: “He thoroughly enjoyed the day and it brought back so many memories not just of his time but his father too , and was looking forward to the next trip.

After their trip around the museum, residents enjoyed a meal and a pint at the Three Bears Pub, a pub local to the museum. 

Susan Cameron, General Manager at Ladybrook Manor, said: “At Ladybrook Manor we encourage residents to lead active and fulfilling lives, and helping residents reconnect with their interests and revisit memories from their past can be a great way to do just that.

“It was great to see Kevin, Edward, and the other residents enjoying themselves and revisiting their past careers in the armed forces. They were all in their element at the museum sharing their knowledge and memories both with each other and the team at the museum. 

“We were thrilled to be able to arrange this trip for our gentlemen's club. Everyone had a wonderful time, and we would like to say a big thank you to the Imperial War Museum for being so accommodating.”

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Ladybrook Manor, 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.