From school dinners to a Lambretta ride in Cyprus, East Preston care home residents share their working memories
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In the 1960s, Millie rode her Lambretta to school along the coast in Cyprus, passing orange groves in the sunshine. She remembers thinking how wonderful it was to be paid to do something she loved.
Millie is one of four residents at Green Willow Residential Home in East Preston who have shared memories of their working lives as part of the home’s November series, Our Stories, Our Smiles.
Millie went on to become a headteacher, though she felt the role took her away from the classroom and into administration. Teaching children was what she loved most, and she looks back with pride on the part she played in school life.
School brings back fond memories for Josie, too. She had several jobs over the years and often returned to working as a dinner lady. She remembers serving meals to children and working with a cook who was lovely and fair, if a little strict. The job gave her a new appreciation for the school dinners she’d enjoyed herself growing up in the 1970s.
Michael worked as a joiner, making doors and windows for houses. He describes the jobs he took on as modest in scale, and his story is a reminder of the skill that goes into the things we use every day.
For Bill, a retired instrumentation engineer, one of his most vivid memories comes from a night in Algiers. He recalls running for safety with three colleagues during a police chase, hearing bullets whizz past and eventually hiding under his bedcovers.
Amy-Louise Lee, registered manager at Green Willow, said, “Ask someone what they did for a living and you never quite know where the conversation will take you. With Millie, we ended up on the coast in Cyprus, hearing about her ride to school. I’ve loved hearing the little details residents remember and seeing how much pride they still take in the work they did.
“It’s a lovely way for us to get to know each other better. There’s always another story to hear, even from someone you sit next to every day.”