Residents from Woodlands House in Southampton are benefitting from a new scheme called ‘Living the Dream’ by taking a train journey on the famous Watercress Line.
The Solent based care home is granting wishes and dreams for residents who want to revisit previous hobbies, take a special day trip or even indulge in new interests. No dream is too big or small!
The first ‘dream’ was organised for Richard, who lives at the New Forest care home, because he is passionate about trains. The fun loving care team from Woodlands House decided to organise a trip to the Watercress Line Railway, which runs between Alresford and Alton.
Richard is living with advanced dementia, so this wonderful trip gave him an engaging sensory experience thanks to the noise of the steam engine, the smell of the burning coal and the beautiful sights going by outside.
Fellow residents John and Bill, joined Richard for the hour and a half excursion to meet the staff, sit in the carriages and enjoy the journey to create new vivid memories. It was the perfect way to unwind and experience the nostalgic sights, sounds and smells of steam travel from a bygone age.
Lisa Sellens is the registered manager at Woodlands House. She says: "My role is to ensure our residents have a happy, purpose filled, enjoyable experience every day. This wonderful trip gave our residents a brilliant sensory experience to bring train watching to life. I can see that they had an excellent day and we would happily go and do it again!"
Originally opened on 2 October 1865, the Alton, Alresford and Winchester Railway was predominantly a goods line and was well known for its role in transporting locally grown watercress to the markets at Covent Garden in London and beyond. The ‘Watercress Line’ nickname was coined early on and is still used today.
Today the Watercress Line carries over 120,000 passengers per year and is one of the largest in a national network of over 100 preserved heritage railways and the four stations along the route have been restored to depict periods from the 1930s to 1960s. The Railway’s mission is to preserve part of the country’s railway heritage for generations to come.
Jason Houlders, general manager at the Watercress Line, comments: “A visit to the Watercress Line is a wonderful opportunity for families, groups and enthusiasts alike to experience the golden age of steam travel in the heart of the English countryside. We are delighted to hear that the residents of Woodlands House had a fantastic day out riding the line and hope to see them again very soon.”
'Living the Dream' is a thriving project that continues to delight the residents who live in the quiet rural village of Woodland. The next special outing involves a trip to the professional dance company, Dizzyfeet Dance Studio in Fareham, for a ballroom dance class for Phyllis, who wants to learn the Waltz, Foxtrot and Rumba.
