An 83-year-old man with dementia had happy memories of driving hundreds of miles to Land’s End trigged when he hopped his old bike.
Richard Brown - who lives at Chawley Grove Care Home, Cumnor Hill - got on-board his old 1952 BSA B33 bike after his son, Anthony Brown, carefully restored the vehicle for him.
Former vehicle mechanic Richard has always been a huge fan of motocross, cars and bikes.
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In his younger days, he used to travel hundreds of miles to Cornwall to compete in the Land’s End Trial.
The 24-hour event, which started in the early 1900s, took Mr Brown through rocky hill climbs and winding roads across some of the most remote landscapes in the UK.
Seeing his old bike brought conversation skills and memories flooding back for Mr Brown who has Lewy body dementia, one of the most common types of dementia.
Lewy body dementia Lewy is a progressive form of dementia which leads to a decline in thinking, reasoning and independent function because of abnormal microscopic deposits that damage brain cells over time.
The trailer bike was restored by Anthony Brown five years ago when it became too difficult for his father to ride.
The son now uses the bike in the same events that his father used to compete in.
He said: “Dad got a massive kick out of sitting on it again and being able to rev it up.
“His posture and speech improved within minutes of being with the bike again and he enjoyed telling us all stories about the adventures he had on the bike in the past.
“It was great that we were able to arrange such a special treat for [Richard] he even picked up my helmet and knew exactly how to put it on as if he were about to take a ride to the shops.”
He said that he hoped to bring his dad’s other bikes to the home too.
He added: “He will happily talk to people about his bikes for hours on end!”
Megan Wilson, Chawley Grove Wellbeing & Lifestyle Coach, said: “It was lovely that Anthony could surprise his dad with one of his old side car bikes.
“The minute he saw this side car, he was chatting away, sitting on it and telling us all about it.”
The NHS states that sharing life experiences and stories from the past using photos, objects, video and music clips, either as a book or on a tablet or other digital device, are key activities for the physical, mental, social and creative stimulation of people with dementia.
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This story was written by Sophie Perry. She joined the team in 2021 as a digital reporter.
You can get in touch with her by emailing: sophie.perry@newsquest.co.uk
Follow her on Twitter @itssophieperry
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