Lording it up – wish comes true for Knebworth care home MP

Home news

May 22, 2019

A wish came true for a resident at Knebworth when he was invited to a prestigious visit to the House of Lords.

The team at Knebworth organised the surprise trip when resident, Lord Graham of Edmonton PC, made a wish on the home’s ‘Wishing Tree’ to go back to his former workplace in Parliament Square. 

Lord Graham, a 94-year-old former MP for the Labour party in Edmonton North, is one of the oldest members of the House of Lords and has been active in politics since the 1970s. 

The team at Knebworth arranged a surprise visit for Lord Graham, where he was invited to a meeting to speak to the attendees and was reunited with former colleagues, including Lord Melyvn Bragg. He also had the chance to meet current key figures within parliament, such as Sarah Clarke – the first female Black Rod in 650 years. 

Lord Graham, known to his friends and family as Ted, was born in Newcastle upon Tyne on 26th March 1925. He left school to work as an errand boy for the Co-op, where he was promoted to work in the office. Prior to his career in politics, Lord Graham served in the British Army during the Second World War.

Vera Moreira-Henocq, home manager at Knebworth, said: “Residents are at the heart of everything we do here at Knebworth, and I am delighted that we could make Ted’s wish come true. He is so passionate about politics, and lived his life to se

rve others, so it was important for us to arrange this surprise visit to a place that holds so many memories for him”.

“Since his visit to the House of Lords, Ted has not stopped talking about the day – he had the chance to meet with many influential people and share his own experiences.”

Lord Graham added: “I was thrilled when the team told me we were going to the House of Lords – it really was a fantastic surprise. I cannot thank the team enough for giving me the opportunity revisit my former workplace and share great memories – plus make new ones with new members of parliament.”