Childhood best friends meet after 68 years at the World of Beatrix Potter Attraction

Posted on

Two Kendal pensioners were astonished to meet up again for the first time since primary school when they joined a group on a bus day trip to Bowness on Windermere. Brenda Parry and Barbara Chorley - both aged 79 - hadn’t seen each other since they were pupils at the old Castle Street School in Kendal 68 years ago.

The chance encounter happened on a Grand Day Out organised by Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire which treated pensioners to an open-top bus trip to Windermere and afternoon tea at the World of Beatrix Potter. Barbara and Brenda were among a group of around 20 pensioners who were invited to enjoy the day as part of a collaboration between Stagecoach and Age UK South Cumbria.

The visit to the Attraction took place in the middle of Loneliness Awareness Week which highlights the isolation some pensioners can feel in later life. Age UK research shows that nearly one million older people across the UK often feel lonely with one in 10 saying they visit the supermarket just to have a chat with the staff or other shoppers. Loneliness Awareness Week is about creating small, meaningful moments and random interactions to help each other and reduce feelings of loneliness in our day-to-day lives. 

And that was certainly the case for the pensioners on the 599 Kendal to Windermere bus where people made new friends as well as chancing upon schoolmates they hadn’t seen for nearly 70 years.

Barbara said she was astonished to bump into Brenda after so long, adding: “I saw this lady smiling at me and I recognised the face, but I couldn’t think who it was. We were at primary school together so we haven’t seen each other since we were about 11.”

Brenda said she immediately recognised Barbara despite the decades that had passed since they last spoke. “I went over and introduced myself and we had a bit of reminisce about the school and we’re going to keep in touch now. We’ve not stopped talking today and we’ll have to arrange to go out again.”

 Suzanne Ambrose, social engagement officer with Age UK South Cumbria, said the trip had given pensioners a chance to make new friends. “It’s been a fabulous day for everybody - they have all thoroughly enjoyed it and have got to meet new people. Some of them have not been out a lot and it looks like they have made some new friends."

The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction were delighted to have collaborated with Stagecoach Cumbria and Age UK to host such a Grand Day Out!