Newbury care home fulfils resident’s wish of returning to family-owned shop

A Newbury care home resident was delighted to pay a visit to her family’s knitting shop – which has been in her family for four generations.

When the team at Care UK’s Winchcombe Place, on Maple Crescent, learned that 85-year-old resident, Anne Cummings, was keen to give her friends at the home a tour of her old workplace, they were determined to make it happen.

Anne’s grandma, Rita, founded Purlescence, a knitting shop in Maidenhead, in 1940. As a child, Anne spent much of her free time at the store, helping her mum run the shop and learning to knit herself. Having remained in the family for over 80 years, the shop is now owned by Anne’s daughter, Sarah.

To help fulfil her wish, the team at Winchcombe Place arranged for Anne and her friends from the home, Alma, Audrey, and Sonia, to visit the shop, where they were welcomed by Anne’s daughter with tea and cake, as well as having the opportunity to discuss knitting techniques and share projects they are working on.

Commenting on the day, Anne said: “It was an amazing trip out. The shop looked as beautiful as ever – I’m so proud of it!”

The special visit was part of the home’s Wishing Tree Initiative, which encourages residents to put wishes forward, allowing them to reconnect with a past hobby or try something completely new – from flying on a plane to enjoying a fish and chip supper, no wish is too big or small.

Shirley Summerbell, Home Manager at Winchcombe Place, said: “Anne absolutely loves knitting – she’s always got a project on the go and has even helped a few of her fellow residents learn the craft. When she shared that she would love to show her friends at the home her family’s knitting shop, the team were thrilled to make it happen.

“Our Wishing Tree initiative is a wonderful way for residents to share their passions and ambitions and it’s hugely rewarding to be able to make these a reality. Anne’s always sharing stories from her time at Purlescence and is so proud of her family’s legacy, so she was delighted to be able to go back and relive those fond memories with her friends.

“I’d like to extend a big thank you to the team at Winchcombe Place, as well as to Anne and Sarah for welcoming us into their family – we all had a wonderful day!”

Winchcombe Place is a state-of-the-art care home which provides full-time residential, nursing, dementia and short-term respite care. The care home incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities and includes its own cinema, hair salon and café.