A care home in Stockport recently organised a surprise trip for its newly formed 'gentlemen's club'. 

The team at Care UK's Ladybrook Manor, on Dairyground Road, treated residents to a day out to the Imperial War Museum in Manchester.  

The club, which is designed to promote companionship, will see the team plan monthly trips based on an interest or hobby of one of the residents – the perfect excuse for male residents to spend time together and chat about shared hobbies.   

For this first trip, it was 95-year old resident Kevin Brennan who provided the inspiration. Kevin had served in the military in his youth, including in the RAF, and has a keen interest in engineering. The team knew the perfect place to visit. 

On the day, Kevin and five fellow residents visited various exhibitions, including 'War through the Ages', where many stories were shared. Joining Kevin on the day was resident Edward Underwood, aged 94, who shared stories of his days in the Royal Artillery. Edward recalled how he was stranded in London when he had lost his documents and spent a month on guard duty in Knightsbridge.   

A number of Ladybrook residents were directly involved in the military (Image - WPR)

Residents also enjoyed the World War One exhibition which sparked many conversations as they discussed how their fathers had fought in WW1 and the experiences they had shared.  

Edward said: "I thoroughly enjoyed the day, and it brought back so many memories. Not just mine, but the stories of my father, too. I'm looking forward to the next trip." 

 After their trip around the museum, residents enjoyed a meal and a pint at the Three Bears, a nearby pub.  

 Susan Cameron, General Manager at Ladybrook Manor, said: "At Ladybrook Manor we encourage residents to lead active and fulfilling lives, and helping residents reconnect with their interests and revisit memories from their past can be a great way to do just that. 

"It was great to see Kevin, Edward, and the other residents enjoying themselves and revisiting their past careers in the armed forces. They were all in their element at the museum sharing their knowledge and memories both with each other and the team at the museum.  

"We were thrilled to be able to arrange this trip for our gentlemen's club. Everyone had a wonderful time, and we would like to say a big thank you to the Imperial War Museum for being so accommodating." 

Trips such as this form part of Ladybrook Manor's stated aims, 'enabling residents to live active and fulfilled lives, whilst also promoting independence'.

Ladybrook Manor remains open to potential residents and is organised into neighbourhoods, to facilitate close-knit communities. For more information on Ladybrook Manor, please call Director of Community Relations, John Harrison on 0161 826 7641, email [email protected]. For more general information, visit: careuk.com/ladybrook-manor

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