Dream comes true for Hickathrift House resident Betty with trip to West Norfolk hotel

A care home resident has had her wish come true to visit her old workplace thanks to an initiative in a local care home.

Betty, who lives at Hickathrift House in Marshland St James, often shares stories of her career at the Duke’s Head Hotel in King’s Lynn and always wanted to go back after her retirement.

Staff at the home have now made her wish a reality through their ‘Post a Wish’ initiative proving the adage, it’s never too late.

Hickathrift House ‘Post A Wish’ initiative helps residents complete their lifelong dreams, from going ice skating to meeting a pony. In 2024 the home successfully granted 30 wishes for residents and hopes to grant even more in 2025, Betty’s wish will make the third granted this year.

Betty has lived at Hickathrift House for less than six months and is beloved by staff and residents alike. Staff at the home were delighted to be a part of making her dream come true, as they knew how much it meant to her, and they all wanted to be there to see the smile on Betty’s face when her dream was realised.

Staff first discovered details of Betty’s career when she arrived at Hickathrift and her family shared a stunning scrapbook of Betty’s life which sparked wonderful memories of her career at the Duke’s Head Hotel.

Ever since then, they have been dedicated to helping her achieve her dream. Staff reached out to the Duke’s Head Hotel who were more than happy to help make Betty’s wish a reality.

Together the staff arranged a tour of the hotel, including the ballroom and the café, where Betty worked for over 20 years. Betty was also accompanied by friends, her son and daughter, who were there to witness this heartwarming occasion and listen to her memories.

The staff at the Duke’s Head Hotel surprised Betty and her guests with an extravagant afternoon tea, bringing tears to Betty’s eyes.

In response to this beautiful surprise, Betty said: “I was on the verge of tears. It is such an amazing feeling to know that such a loving group of people care so much about me that they helped me to live out a dream – and I didn’t even ask. The place has changed for the better but it’s clear the staff still know their stuff.”

Sharon Taplin, events coordinator from the Duke’s Head Hotel said: “It was an absolute honour to welcome Betty back to the Dukes Head Hotel and to see her big smile as she started recognizing the different areas of the hotel.

“She was so interesting and we all learnt something from the history of the hotel from her. She remembered exactly where the kitchen was and the long service hall and also entertained us with some amusing stories of her time working here. When we went through to the Ballroom and she told us how she used to waitress with several plates up her arms.

“The Ballroom is undergoing a refurbishment at the moment so when the carers started dancing around the room with the ladies in their wheelchairs, Betty was thrilled when I announced that she will be the last person to dance on the existing floor. It was a pleasure to be part of Betty’s ‘Post a Wish’ dream.”

Paula Melerski, general manager at the home, said: “We believe that every moment is worth cherishing. We want everyone we care for to know how important they are to us here at Hickathrift House. It is testament to the hard work and dedication of the team here in making our residents’ dreams come true. It was fantastic to see how happy Betty was – and the staff loved being a part of this as well.”