On the Wednesday 10 June 2026, Gascoigne House held a Memory Café for people with memory issues such as Alzheimer’s and Dementia. The café is held on the second Wednesday of the month throughout the year.
The theme this month was Summer Holidays.
Drinks were served by Lisa, a very valuable resident who often helps out at Gascoigne events.
Lisa has recently has carried out a sponsored walk for Dementia UK. I did a similar walk myself a couple of years ago, but due to health reasons, I am no longer able to do the walk. So, congratulations to Lisa for completing the walk and raising money for Dementia UK.
Deborah, Laura and Liz hosted the coffee afternoon.
Mavis, who I have known for about 10 years, is a resident at Gascoigne House. She came along to the Memory Cafe for the first time.
Sharon, another resident, was the only other person there I know by name, but I know all their faces.
We were all given coloured pens and a blank post card, and we had to paint on the card a holiday theme, and address the card back home. Of course, the card was imaginary.
Laura, Deborah and Liz asked us about our favourite holiday destinations, mine was Weymouth and East Coast holidays were very popular.
We finished with a sing song, and before we packed up for the afternoon we were very surprised when Deborah went to our local fish and chip shop and brought fish and chips for us all, with mushy peas and curry sauce for all that wanted it.
Thank you very much for this fantastic surprise. Everyone was also handed sticks of Blackpool Rock, which I brought back from my holiday in Blackpool a month ago.
Another Memory Café I go to is one at Middleton Elderly Aid (MEA), which is held on the last Wednesday of the month, 1:30-3pm and is open to all.
I used to run this café for about 10 years but recent months I’ve left it to Tracey to run things.
We have mentors at MEA, for each person, who helps with putting family pictures into scrap books, and we play memory games and finish off with tea and cakes.
Another Memory Café I used to go to was at the Black Bull pub in Rothwell. It is run by Paula and is on Monday afternoon every week.
Others Memory Cafes closed down during Covid and have never reopened are Elland Road police station, Leeds United football ground and one I started myself at the Parnaby Tavern.
Staff at Gascoigne House commented:
“We had a lovely afternoon at our monthly Memory Café, where the theme was Holidays.
“The Isle of Wight and the East Coast were popular favourites as we shared holiday memories and wrote postcards.
“After that, we enjoyed fish and chips and our usual sing-along.
“A stick of Blackpool rock, kindly provided by Ken, was the perfect finishing touch!
“The weather certainly didn’t dampen our spirits. See you all next month.”
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