Bourne View residents Joan Blackshaw, right, and Irene Whyment each give a wave as they sit on a Lambretta.
Fun-loving motorbike fans at a Dorset care home didn’t need to be asked twice to sit in the saddles of some classic Lambrettas.
When retro bike group the Grumpy Grandads came to help Colten Care’s Poole home Bourne View celebrate its fifth anniversary, they made sure the occasion had the feel of a 1960s Mod-era road trip.
Excited onlookers gathered to welcome the colourful, Union Jack-bearing motorcycle convoy with the parka-wearing Grandads quick to chat with interested residents and offer them the chance to climb on and feel the handlebars.
The Grumpy Grandads, led by biker Rod Hall, on the approach to Bourne View watched by children and staff from next door Langside School.
For those living at art deco-themed Bourne View who previously owned motorbikes, the hands-on experience brought back many happy memories.
After sitting on a bike which sported dozens of lights and mirrors, Pam Pamphilon said: “I used to have bikes in the past and it was marvellous to sit on one again.”
Fellow resident Norah Lowe said: “I didn’t want to get off. I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
Irene Whyment and Joan Blackshaw took their seats on a couple of bikes at the same time, prompting Joan to smile and say: “I can see us going for a ride together.”
And married couple June and Keith Osbourne, who both live at Bourne View, expressed similar joy.
June said: “We used to have bikes ourselves and we absolutely loved this visit. It was wonderful.”
As well as Bourne View residents, children from next door Langside School were invited to go outside to welcome the Grandads’ motorbike ‘cavalcade’ as it arrived along Langside Avenue.
Bourne View resident Norah Lowe said she ‘didn’t want to get off’ after sitting on a motorbike.
Bourne View resident Pat Tharme keeps a tight grip of the handlebars as she gives a wave.
The bikers’ call was among a host of activities Bourne View team members organised to celebrate the home’s fifth anniversary.
An open day for families, friends and community contacts featured a party with music from singing duo the Land Girls.
There was also a visit by the Mayor and Mayoress of Poole to mark the official opening of a bigger dining room and event space on the ground floor.
Building and refurbishment work has involved the merging of the home’s Charleston Lounge and Hepburn Dining Room and the installation of a new ‘snug’ corner in the bistro.
The Mayoral party were welcomed into the new space to the sounds of two songs written and performed by a residents’ choir led by Colten Care’s Music & Arts Partner Fiona Pritchard.
On the piano was 97-year-old Bourne View resident Myrtle Smith, a former professional pianist, chamber musician and teacher.
During the visit, the Mayor, Councillor Pete Miles, spoke with residents including 107-year-old Yvonne Glover.
The pair discussed their shared interest in Poole Harbour.
Born in Boscombe in 1916, Yvonne used to swim between the ferry and quay when she was a girl.
As well as becoming an elite swimmer and Poole’s first national swimming champion, she was a hydrographer who spent much of her career measuring water depths and checking for hazards in the harbour. She even has a harbour buoy named after her near Brownsea Island, Glover’s Buoy.
Outside his political and ceremonial roles, Cllr Miles is a restaurateur and fisherman who began his career working on the pilot boats of Poole.
In a Facebook post after the visit, the Mayor’s office wrote: “The Mayor and Mayoress had the privilege of visiting the new dining room at Bourne View care home.
“Touched by the most wonderful welcome, they enjoyed meeting the staff, residents and guests as well as a tour of the impressive facilities.
“The Mayor was particularly honoured to meet 107-year-old Yvonne Glover who has a buoy named after her in Poole Harbour.
“Having started his career in the pilot boats of Poole, the Mayor was fascinated by Yvonne’s achievements as a hydrographer with Poole Harbour Commissioners.”
Home Manager Gemma Parkin said: “We have all had such great fun celebrating our fifth anniversary with friends, family and other special guests.
“We especially thank the Mayor and Mayoress, and Rod Hall and his fellow bikers from Grumpy Grandads, for coming to see us and sharing in this very happy occasion.”
