Nov 16, 2018
From the moment the slight figure of Francesca Lanza wandered into the nave and started to warm up her vocal cords, I knew that I was in for a treat. Her soprano voice filled Rosslyn Hill chapel with glorious, unmistakably world-class sound. And unlike in most opera...
Nov 9, 2018
I thought I’d share a little bit of magic with you in advance of Remembrance Sunday. It occurred in Bedford, when grandmother and erstwhile choir member Pat French, who is living with advanced dementia, broke into song. Pat was a little girl during the second world...
Oct 27, 2018
Big Ian. The name fits him like a supersize glove. Ian Donaghy, all 6ft 2ins of him, has big ideas, huge energy and a massive Geordie heart. Many of you will know him through his Twitter handle @trainingcarers. As we walked together round the grounds of York...
Oct 10, 2018
“People are rarely happy on their own. Which is why multi-generation houses are the model for the future: learning from one another, feeling needed, sharing joy. A real recipe for happiness!” So said Dr Eckart von Hirschhausen, author and patron of a multi-generation...
Oct 3, 2018
I’ve had a busy summer with much travelling (hence my woeful lack of blogs, for which apologies). There have also been two weddings and two funerals, to misquote Richard Curtis; and both friends’ funerals were due to dementia. The first of these very sad deaths was...
Jul 5, 2018
The only advert that Christian and Sally Wilse ever used for their care service Seniors Helping Seniors appealed to those with “the heart of a volunteer”. It was a clever idea that immediately weeded out anyone applying for the money. “Applicants thought they...
