An 83-year-old Loughborough resident had a ‘magical’ surprise reunion with her best friend thanks to her helicopter pilot son.
Chris Perry and her best friend, Margaret, have been friends for over 50 years, first meeting each other when they were neighbours in Loughborough.
Both living with young children at the time, Chris and Margaret would spend every Friday together.
“We used to have a fabulous time – there were five couples on the street. The men would play squash and us ladies would sit and chat, and then we’d order a takeaway,” said Chris.
Later in life, Margaret moved to Somerset. While the pair kept in touch, Chris had only been able to see Margaret once over the past two years.
After hearing Chris’ fond memories and how much she wanted to see Margaret again, Chris’ son and staff at Loughborough’s Woodthorpe Lodge, where she now lives, planned to reunite the best friends.
Chris’ son, Steve, organised to have a helicopter pick Margaret up from her home in Somerset and fly her to his home in Ulverscroft, where the team at Woodthorpe would be waiting with an unsuspecting Chris.
When Margaret emerged from the helicopter, Chris couldn’t believe her eyes!
“I was staggered,” she said. “I had no idea who was coming but it couldn’t have been a better person. Margaret is so kind and I have known her for such a long time. It was a magical day, my son is so thoughtful.”
Kate Day, the Home Manager at Woodthorpe Lodge care home who accompanied Chris to the surprise reunion added: “It was really special to be part of such a wonderful experience for Chris, and to see the smiles on both ladies’ faces was amazing. We always do everything we can to give our residents days they’ll never forget, and I don’t think Chris will ever forget Margaret’s surprise visit!”
