Resident, John Baker 81, at Wilsmere House Care Home is a huge cricket fan and has always wanted to see an England test match in real life, so staff at the home made his wish a reality plus John got to see Jimmy Anderson’s last ever test match into the bargain.

John has lived at Wilsmere House for 6 months and is already beloved by staff and residents alike. Staff at the home were delighted to be a part of making his dream come true, as they knew how much it meant to him. John always enjoys watching cricket on television however, due to his mobility, he hasn’t been to a live match for over 20 years.

Staff have been aware of John’s love for cricket since he became a resident and have been planning an event for a while. When they found out about England player James ‘Jimmy’ Anderson’s last ever test match they just knew this would be the perfect occasion. Staff at Wilsmere House dedicated time to make John’s dream come true so he was able to share in this momentous occasion as Jimmy, regarded as the best seam bowler of all time, said goodbye to international cricket with a crushing victory over the West Indies at Lord’s.

In response to this wonderful surprise, John said: “Today was a very special experience. I haven’t been to Lord’s for probably 20 years, it didn’t seem to change very much quite frankly and thank you very much to all and everybody who made it possible. It really was a special day.”

Lili Cocue, 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 Wilsmere House. It is testament to the hard work and dedication of the team here in making our residents’ dreams come true. It was wonderful to see how happy John was – and the staff loved being a part of this as well.”
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Wilsmere House care home is run by Barchester Healthcare, one of the UK’s largest care providers, which is committed to delivering personalised care across its care homes and hospitals. Wilsmere House provides nursing care, dementia care and services for under 65s for 86 residents from respite care to long term stays.