James Terry Court stages vintage car show for its residents

Residents at James Terry Court, in South Croydon, enjoyed a Vintage Car Show on their doorstep this week.

In normal times, residents at the Home enjoy lots of outdoor activities and outings. But since lockdown, for their own safety, they haven’t been able to go any on trips outside of the Home.

The Home’s staff were determined to provide their residents with some outdoor fun and stimulation, so they came up with the highly original idea of staging a Vintage Car Show on the Home’s forecourt.

The Association of Friends of James Terry Court helped turn the ambitious idea into reality, calling on fellow Freemasons across Surrey to lend vintage vehicles for the show.

The event proved to be a big hit with everyone. As well as being a lot of fun, it provided a multi-sensory experience for the residents, which is good for health and wellbeing.

Among the Home’s residents enjoying the car show, was 95 year old Lily Phelps (pictured), who told carers that seeing all the cars brought back memories of working in the office of the London motor company where she met her husband.

Lily explained:

We met over a query on an invoice! She also told staff: “I once had a ride in a Rolls Royce and felt like the Queen!

Nails McMillan, Vice Chair of the Association of Friends of James Terry Court, who helped organise the event, said:

We wanted to make it a really special day for the residents at James Terry Court. We had a fantastic response from vintage car enthusiasts who were happy to be involved and bring their cars for the residents to see. Everyone enjoyed it so much, we plan to put on a bigger show next year!

Home Manager, Michele Belch, said:

We’re delighted at the success of our vintage car show. We wanted to do something different, to engage and excite everyone and our residents absolutely loved it. Seeing all the old cars triggered lots of memories and sparked lots of lively conversations and laughter. We’re so grateful to our Association of Friends for their hard work and to all the car owners for lending their amazing vehicles.