Fish and chips by the sea in special outing for Brenda

An 85-year-old respite care resident took a trip down memory lane and enjoyed fish and chips by the sea in the coastal town where she enjoyed holidays as a child.

Brenda Wignall from Warboys, Cambridgeshire, was undergoing two weeks of respite care at Askham Hall, which forms part of Askham Village Community, a specialist family-run care and rehabilitation community, while her family were away on holiday. 

After exchanging childhood stories, Mandy Ladds, part of Askham’s activities team, recognised Brenda’s desire to return to Hunstanton, one of her favourite seaside towns in Norfolk, and set about creating a surprise day trip. Brenda found herself indulging in some fish and chips, chancing her hand in the local arcade and reminiscing on her childhood.

She says: “It was an absolute delight to visit the seaside again and I have a lot of fond memories of Hunstanton. My mother and father were both Sunday school teachers and they would often take us to visit the town for the day. It holds a special place in my heart and I haven’t been able to go in years. We went shopping in some of the amazing local shops and I even treated myself to a lovely pink cardigan and top. We then had fish and chips, which was wonderful, but I couldn't quite believe how big the portions were!" 

Mandy adds: “Brenda has been an absolute delight to have around and her fantastic sense of humour will be dearly missed. We always strive to create memorable experiences for our residents at Askham Village Community and this all starts with our amazing and dedicated team. We wanted to give Brenda the opportunity to relive her childhood and feel safe in the process — something we understand to be really important with our older residents.”

Brenda outside Askham Hall 

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