Cambridge care home resident reignites love for bookmaking

A Cambridge care home resident had the odds in his favour, as his wish to revisit his former career as a bookmaker came true.

When the team at Care UK’s Heathlands House, on Bullen Close, discovered that 90-year-old David Bond, who lives with dementia, wanted to rekindle his passion for the racing world, they made it their mission to grant his wish.

Growing up in Cambridge, David’s love for horse and dog racing began in his childhood, inspired by his father, who worked as a bookmaker alongside his job on the local railways. By his teenage years, David was sneaking off to watch races and soon became a bookmaker himself, running his own pitch at point-to-point meetings across the country. 

His career spanned an impressive 50 years, during which he became a well-known figure in the racing community, even recognised by jockeys at international venues like Hong Kong's Sha Tin Racecourse.

To enable David to reconnect with his passion, the team at Heathlands House arranged a visit to the National Horseracing Museum in Newmarket for him, along with his wife Liz, son Steve, and team members from the home. During the visit, David toured the museum’s exhibits, rekindling memories of his career, and shared stories of his life as a bookmaker. David particularly enjoyed the exhibits featuring racing videos from the 1970s.

The visit was part of Care UK’s Wishing Tree initiative, which encourages residents to put their wishes forward, allowing them to reconnect with a past hobby or try something completely new – from flying a plane to enjoying a fish and chip supper, no wish is too big or small.

Razvan Stanbeca, Home Manager at Heathlands House, said: “David’s stories of life as a bookmaker have always captivated us, so we were thrilled to help him relive those memories. Our Wishing Tree initiative is all about creating special moments for residents, and it’s been heartwarming to see how much this visit meant to David and Liz.”

Designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence, Heathlands House incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities both indoors and out. The layout of the building has been configured into a series of individual suites, each having a dedicated lounge and dining room to help facilitate the creation of close-knit communities.