In which we are joined by two more
We are happy to report that we have another two hosts on board, Teresa in Exeter and Jurek in Collumpton (also supporting Tiverton and Willand).
Teresa, our most recent recruit, says that she feels really lucky with her group and has already grown fond of them all. She has 2 small children but on her hosting days her mother helps out by looking after the youngest child. However, when the youngest is napping, Teresa’s mum joins in with the group and has lunch with them too, an added bonus for all.
In her first week Teresa reported how one client was quite unsettled, didn’t want to remain seated and kept looking for his cigarettes. Skip forward one week and he felt able to stay seated for much longer, he joined in the crossword and was altogether much more relaxed.
The sons of one client told Teresa that they felt the day ‘is really good for dad’ and the carer of another said ‘it’s great for him to get out for the day’ especially because he spends so much time at home without company.
Jurek has been with us a little longer and is into his second month now. He reported that his all male group is beginning to coalesce nicely. It is a small world (although as a friend used to say, I wouldn’t want to paint it) and as previous posts attest to commonalities are not hard to find. In this case two of the men served in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, one in WWII the other during National Service some years later. Describing their conversations as ‘intelligent and blokey’ Jurek explained that topics range from how to dismantle a tank to the water mains system of Exeter.
Google has proved to be a useful tool in his sessions, especially when seeking to answer queries in the moment. For example, one question posed this week was ‘why are so many of the National Trust buildings in Broadclyst yellow?’
Jurek has noticed the way the men in the group care for each other and he highlighted an instance in his first week in which one of the men got cramp in his hands. Jurek went upstairs to get a hot water bottle and came back down to find one of the others massaging the cramped hands. ‘It was a joint effort to get him going again.’ The only time this comradeship is tested, it seems, is when it comes to the last fig roll.
