A vintage 1964 police car is the centrepiece of a new memories event helping Salford people with dementia.
Morning of Memories began earlier this year after radio presenter Paul Fairclough was invited to take the car – which belonged to his police office father – to a community event.
The response to the trip down memory lane inspired him to make more of the car and other memorabilia especially for people with dementia or facing social isolation.
Paul, who works as a presenter at Blue Sky Radio, said he immediately began pulling together a more interactive programme working with Cadishead PCSO Mark Fitzgerald.
He and Mark, who has been Cadishead PCSO for 23 years. have taken the presentation that emerged to about 20 care homes and memory cafes in the past month.
Mark described how he hosts these events as: “I don’t class you as residents, your friends and I will never forget what this Community did for me when I was in a bad place a couple of years ago.”
The presentation includes a video including old adverts, pre-decimal coins, Green Shield stamps, Co-op stamps, a driving licence, a dog licence, and toasters from the lights of Belle Vue race track.
Paul said: “It’s all things designed to bring back people’s memories. We’ve got the models from Camberwick Green and Trumpton fire station, a rotary dial telephone and the first mobile phone, known as the Motorola brick.
“We also have some exhibits that are in the Greater Manchester police museum, so we have a Salford city police cape which goes back to the 1940s, with all the buttons on it and the chain goes across the neck.”
GMP officers often attend to give advice and give out forms to be used in case of a relative going missing, which can be a worry for those with dementia and their carers. The form includes previous addresses the person lived at. Nine times out of ten this is where someone with dementia will go.
The next event is a special Christmas session on December 9 at the Lady James’ Hall on Liverpool Road, lrlam, from 2-4 pm.open to everybody in the Salford area.
Paul said: “We will not only provide them with some Christmas music but also together with the Salford health improvement team give them any advice that they may need.”
Morning of Memories will be offering mince pies and other refreshments, plus Christmas gifts of bells that can be hung on purses as a security measure for people with dementia.
He said: “We’re just trying to make it nice and fun, a load of Christmas music… some of the Christmas adverts from years ago and people who were always on our Christmas telly. We will show those as well, so it’s just a lovely get together.
“It’s absolutely free and anyone who is looking after someone that’s an older relative… they’re more than welcome to come down and join us.”
A veteran group will also be in attendance to help any ex-service people. Morning of Memories also hosts a veterans breakfast once a month, where anyone is free to attend and enjoy a full English.
Specialist appliance provider Cadent, which will be providing foil blankets, electric timers and other winter emergency supplies, will also be there.
Paul has met many people as Morning of Memories grows, including Sir James Anderson, the chief of Greater Manchester police from 1976 to the 90s. Sir James died three weeks after Paul met him and the last photo is of him sitting in the vintage police car.
Paul said: “There’s lots of nice memories and that’s what we are really hoping to continue with into next year and into the future, and hopefully make it not just Salford wide but Greater Manchester wide.
“It’s just something a little bit different to take out to some of the care homes and memory cafe’s that are all over the area.”
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