Eye care home resident returns to sailing roots

It was all hands-on deck for a 90-year-old former sailor when his care home in Eye arranged for him to take to the water once more.

Team members at Care UK’s Hartismere Place, on Castleton Way, pulled out all the stops for resident Peter Leggett when they discovered his sailing past.

 

Peter’s connection to the water runs deep. His father and uncles were involved in seafaring, from deep-sea fishing to RNLI service out of Yarmouth, and his grandfather served in the navy in the early 1900s.

Growing up by the River Stour, Peter spent his youth sailing, rowing, racing model yachts and building his own boats.

One treasured trophy from 1949 still sits proudly in his room, commemorating a model yacht race he won at the age of 14.

Throughout his life, Peter’s family maintained strong ties to maritime work. His father, Jim, worked for HM Customs and Excise and was famously the last person aboard the SS Richard Montgomery, a wartime Liberty shipwrecked on the Thames Estuary. 

Thanks to the Waveney Stardust Trust, Peter and his fellow residents finally had the chance to enjoy a trip on a motor cruiser along the River Waveney, complete with a picnic lunch on board.

Peter’s visit was part of Care UK’s Wishing Tree initiative, which helps residents revisit old hobbies and passions or even try something 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 make come true.

Claire Martin, Home Manager at Hartismere Place, said: “We had a wonderful afternoon supporting Peter’s sailing wish and learning more about his lifelong love of the water.

"Our Wishing Tree initiative is such a rewarding way for residents to revisit old passions and bring back happy memories from their younger years. Sailing has always been part of Peter’s life, so it was incredible to see him reconnect with those feelings.

"Recreating this experience meant the world to Peter and we’d like to say a huge thank you to the Waveney Stardust Trust for making his day and letting him take to the seas once more!”

Hartismere Place, rated ‘outstanding’ by the Care Quality Commission, has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and enable residents to lead active and fulfilling lives. The home provides full-time residential and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care, and the team also operates a day centre that is open to the community throughout the week.