Horsham care home resident’s wish takes off with nostalgic trip

A resident at a care home in Horsham had her long‑held wish granted to jet back to her air hostess days.

When the team at Care UK’s Skylark House, on St Mark’s Lane, heard that 87-year-old resident Jacki Brown was keen to visit an exhibition dedicated to her old airline, they stepped into action.

The team took Jacki to the Crawley Museum to explore its British Caledonian exhibition. The Gatwick-based airline played a big part in Crawley’s history, employing many local people across the decades until they were taken over by British Airways in the late 1980s.

Jacki was an air hostess with British Caledonian for ten years throughout the 1970s, flying long‑haul routes all over the world. Her favourite destination was South America – particularly the vibrant Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

Jacki said: “I had an amazing time at the museum, spending the morning chatting with my old colleagues, including a hostess I loved working with back in the day!

“I met all kinds of people in the 70s, and I do miss travelling the world and partying with friends in different countries. I felt proud to wear the iconic tartan uniform, so it was wonderful to stand right next to it again.”

The visit was part of the home’s Wishing Tree initiative, which allows residents to make wishes – big or small.

Dora Woloszyn, Home Manager at Skylark House, said: “We had an amazing time at the Crawley Museum; it was so lovely to see such a big smile on Jacki’s face!

“Our Wishing Tree initiative is a fantastic way for residents to share their passions and ambitions, and it’s hugely rewarding to be able to make these a reality. Jacki speaks fondly of her days as an air hostess, so the visit was a brilliant opportunity for her to reminisce – we've loved hearing all the anecdotes from her flying days as we made our way through the exhibition.

“I’d like to extend a big thank you to the Crawley Museum for hosting a brilliant exhibition, as well as to the team here at Skylark House for making Jacki’s day.”

Skylark House has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives. The home provides full-time residential and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care, and boasts luxury facilities including a cinema, pub and hair and beauty salon.