Care home resident 'sprints out of armchair' to ride in motorcycle sidecar

An eighty-nine-year-old resident had the surprise of her life when her care home arranged for her to go on a journey in a sidecar and motorbike - just like she used to 65 years ago.

Gladys, who currently resides at Windsor House care home in Standish, Wigan, had her dream come true when one Saturday morning, a vintage motorbike and sidecar appeared on the lawn, ready to take her for a spin.

The whole care home came out with deck chairs and prosecco to watch the surprise, along with Gladys' family.

Her daughter Janet said: “It was an absolutely fantastic morning; we can’t thank you enough for arranging this for our Mum. When I said, ‘I bet you’d like to ride in it’ and she said, ‘I wish I could’ and I said, ‘well you can’, she sprinted out of that chair.”

Gladys would travel all over the country in the sidecar of her husband’s motorbike in the 1950s and told care home staff about her great memories of journeys, and of how she liked to feel of the wind on her hair as she travelled in style.

The experience was organised by Windsor House as part of Millennium Care UK’s wish tree project which aims to grant the wishes of its residents.

Due to the slightly unusual nature of Gladys' request, activities coordinator Collette Smith reached out on social media to find someone with a motorbike and sidecar, and a person called Alan Bonny got in touch and said he was more than happy to go to the home and let Gladys ride in one of his vintage bikes and a sidecar.

Gladys came out and saw the bike but didn’t think it was there for her and was very excited when she realised it was.

Her son John said: “I think the last time I remember mum travelling in a sidecar was 1955, it’s things like this that make this place special, thanks so much.”

Her daughter Linda added: “Thank you so much everyone at Windsor House for organising this - you are all amazing.”

The manager at Windsor House, Kathryn Disley, called the experience "outstanding" and said: "Making dreams like this come true is what we are all about at Windsor House”.

Colette, the home’s activity coordinator thanked Alan and Jane who brought along the bike, saying they "were so kind and helpful, they have made a very special lady very happy today, thank you so much.”