Former Southampton bricklayer revisits estate he helped to restore 50 years ago

A Southampton care home resident took a trip down memory lane, as his wish to revisit his former career in construction came true.

When the team at Care UK’s Carpathia Grange, on Southampton Road, discovered that 91-year-old Walter John Green wanted to rekindle his passion for building, they made it their mission to grant his wish.

Growing up in nearby Emery Down, Walter’s flare for construction was ignited when he started an apprenticeship in bricklaying after leaving school. He later joined the National Service airfield construction branch in Germany in the 1950s, before returning to his hometown and beginning restorative work on Beaulieu Church as the site foreman. 

In 1972, Walter began his favourite job at the 800-year-old Beaulieu estate in the New Forest National Park, now home to the National Motor Museum, where he demolished the outbuildings to make a pathway between the museum and the main house, which they named ‘the hole in the wall’.  At the same time, they repaired the features of one of the palace’s water fountains. 

In 1976, Walter moved on to the renovation of the Domas building – laying all the paving slabs and finishing up with building the wall and archway leading to the abbey ruins.

To enable Walter to reconnect with precious memories from his career, the team at Carpathia Grange arranged a special day out at the Beaulieu estate for him. During the visit, Walter toured the estate’s grounds, rekindling fond memories as he shared stories from his years spent restoring the buildings. 

Walter, who retired in 1998, said: “All my working days were happy days, and I always enjoyed and took great pride in my work. 

“Going back to Beaulieu brought back a lot of memories that I will cherish forever. It made me incredibly proud to see that the work I carried out is still standing today.”

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

Jodie Farr, Home Manager at Carpathia Grange, said: “Walter’s life stories have always captivated us, so we were thrilled to help him relive those memories. 

“Our Wishing Tree initiative is all about creating special moments for residents, and it was heartwarming to see how much this visit meant to Walter.”

Carpathia Grange is a three-storey care home which provides residential, dementia and nursing care. The home features 62 en-suite bedrooms and has been designed to enable its residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence. The care home incorporates space for leisure activities and hobbies, and includes its own cinema, hair salon and café.