| I’ve lived in Bournemouth since 1945. My wife divorced me and I got pneumonia and went into hospital. I was okay there for a while but they didn’t know where to put me until this vacancy with Together cropped up.
So I moved in, and I’ve never looked back. This is my fifth year living here. I’ve started referring to this place in my diary as ‘home’ which I didn’t to start with. I have my own life here, and I have my own room which is all mine. Some people’s rooms reflect their personality and I think mine does – full of my things, you know, and sometimes when it comes to dusting I wish I didn’t have so many things!
The place is always improving. The boss is very keen on keeping the decoration up-to-date, getting new chairs and so on. The staff are all different personalities but they are all good and very friendly and supportive. They seem to make quite an effort to do things that we can take part in. They have bingo nights and quiz nights and tomorrow afternoon we’re going ten-pin bowling.
I’ve got my own regular programme. I go over to the Baptist church on Monday and we do crosswords, then on Tuesday I go to see my friend at Boscombe: he’s got a workshop and I give him a hand. He’s got motorbikes and lawnmowers and welding gear – I was a welder and we keep busy. Fridays I play pool with some other people in the community. In the summer I go swimming every morning in the sea.
I find it’s very good here, the food’s good and there don’t seem to be too many rules and regulations. Well, the rules make sense, you know. I’ve made friends here. I’m much better and happier now: I used to get depression and periods of elation – well, I still get elated sometimes but I don’t get depression. And that’s better, isn’t it!
It’s the best of both worlds living here – being independent and my own man, and also having a bit of company and support.
Illustration by Sybil Harris.
* Name has been changed. |
