Weald Hall Resident Mary Enjoys Dream Flight Over Essex
Residents at Weald Hall Care Home are used to seeing planes taking off and landing at neighbouring North Weald Airfield. And for Mary, watching the aircraft from the garden has always been something she particularly enjoys. So when she was offered the chance to go up in one herself, she was absolutely thrilled!
It all started with a conversation between Mary and Ian, who was visiting a loved one at Weald Hall. After Mary told him how much she loved watching the planes, Ian mentioned that he actually owned an aircraft based at the airfield and kindly offered to take her flying.
Mary was so excited by the offer that she started asking the team when she might go. So the staff at Weald Hall got in touch with Ian to see if they could arrange the flight and his reply was rather unexpected “How about tomorrow?”
Luckily, Mary didn’t have long to wait after all!
The following day, with clear skies and perfect flying weather, Mary headed over to North Weald Airfield for her trip.
During the flight, Ian took her over Roydon, the village she came from. From above, Mary spotted familiar places, including Roydon Marina, which brought back fond memories of the area.
They then continued towards Clacton, where Mary enjoyed views of the coastline and the famous pier. She said it was a real treat for her to see places she remembered so well from the air.
Afterwards, Mary described the experience beautifully, saying: “I felt like I was in a dream.”
Helping Residents Enjoy New Experiences at Weald Hall
The team at Weald Hall were over the moon that Mary had enjoyed her time up in the clouds, especially since it all came about so unexpectedly.
Weald Hall specialises in dementia care, and staff take time to understand each resident’s interests and what they enjoy doing. Mary’s love of watching the planes was already well known at the home, so when Ian made his generous offer, the team were more than keen to help her take it up.
What began as a chat with a visitor had turned into an experience Mary had been looking forward to enormously.
The team would like to say a huge thank you to Ian for his kindness and generosity. Taking Mary flying was such a thoughtful gesture and everyone at Weald Hall is grateful to him for making it possible.
Mary will still be able to enjoy watching the planes from the garden, although now she’ll have the added pleasure of remembering the day she got to climb aboard one herself!
At Weald Hall Care Home, residents are encouraged to keep enjoying the things they love and embrace new experiences along the way. And as Mary’s wonderful adventure shows, there’s always room for another dream to come true.
