Cambridgeshire care home resident reunited with former crew

A resident at a St Ives care home has had his heartfelt wish come true thanks to a very special trip down memory lane.

 

Doug Collyer, 80-year-old resident at Care UK’s Field Lodge, was reunited with old friends during an emotional visit to Old Warden Airfield in Biggleswade – a place filled with treasured memories from his decades of flying.

The former instructor enjoyed sharing stories with colleagues from his flying days while exploring the early 20th-century aircraft collection museum. The day elicited fond memories of the pioneering era of aviation he remembers so well.

Doug said: “Visiting Old Warden again felt like coming home! It brought back so many happy memories. It was also an emotional day for me, reminiscing about the good times and reconnecting with friends.”

Doug first began training on Tiger Moths in 1965 and gained his private pilot licence the following year. He qualified as a flying instructor in 1986, becoming part of the Cambridge Flying Group until his final flight in February 2020. Over the years, Doug trained countless students on the Tiger Moth aircraft, including close friend David, who joined him on the recent trip.

This experience was organised as part of Care UK’s Wishing Tree initiative, which enables residents to put forward ambitions to revisit old hobbies and passions or try something completely new. Whether it’s a fish and chip supper, a skydive or watching a football match, no wish is too big or small for the team to try to grant.

Linda Martinez, Home Manager at Field Lodge, said: “We always strive to make residents’ wishes come true and it was a real privilege to support Doug in revisiting somewhere that means so much to him. It was wonderful to see the joy on his face as he reunited with friends and shared stories from his remarkable flying career.”

Field Lodge is a modern, purpose-built care home providing full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. Designed to enable residents to live enjoyable and fulfilling lives, the care home has a choice of lounges and dining rooms, as well as its own cinema, pub and hair and beauty salon.