We were thrilled to be joined by motorbike club, Bike’s Nights, who rode into our grounds at Woodley Grange on Harley Davidsons, an early 60’s Honda, a Royal Enfield Himalayan, a Royal Enfield 650 Interceptor and several Triumphs! It brought back fond memories of time spent riding motorbikes with their families, for many of our residents.

Our lovely resident Gill, recounted: “When I was small my dad had a bike and sidecar, my Mum went in the front, and I went in the back.
“My husband Pat had a Velocette which had belonged to his brother. It was falling apart but my father-in-law fixed it for him. We would ride it at the weekends to get out of the smog and rat race of London. We couldn’t always afford a holiday, so we used to go camping with the bike as transport. Because it was a holiday, I would wear a bikini. We only came off the bike three times and were never hurt, although one time we were nearly run over by a bus.”

Althea, aged 94, added: “I insisted that my husband went very slowly, as I was terrified I’d fall off. It’s absolutely wonderful to see all the bikes here but I don’t think I would want to ride on the back of one again.”

Margaret remarked: “My dad had a bike and I rode on the back from the age of three, I remember shouting for him to go faster! It was great to bring back all those great memories.”

Liliana Macieira, care home manager, said: “We know how important it is for our residents living with dementia to chat about old times and share memories, so we’re always looking for new ways for them to engage in reminiscence. Many have very fond memories of travelling across the country and the freedom it brought them.

“We’re so grateful to Bike’s Nights for coming in with all their amazing motorbikes. The club members were brilliant, taking the time to chat to the residents. Lots of our residents didn’t want them to leave!”

Our event was so special, it made it into the Hampshire Chronicle! To read the whole article please click here.

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