I LOVE Bramhall Thursday Club

Recently I Love Cheadle Hulme had the absolute pleasure of joining I Love Bramhall at the Bramhall Thursday Club’s celebration of the Queen’s 90^th birthday.

What a treat! Thursday Club’s wonderful volunteers – or friends, as they prefer to be known – laid on a spread fit for the Queen herself, and the room at Bramhall Methodist Church was bedecked and be-ribonned in red, white and blue with Union flags everywhere! Many of the guests were also dress accordingly, with one, Stan, wearing a fabulous Union Jack t-shirt. There was a lovely atmosphere, everyone was so happy and chatty.

The menu was delish. The main course was a beautifully-crumbed fillet of salmon – or Balmoral Salmon – accompanied by Royal Jersey new potatoes, and a selection of ‘Highgrove’ vegetables. To follow we were treated to a Princess Elizabeth pudding – a rather delectable (and sizeable!) chocolate sponge topped with a luscious peach and whipped cream. Naturally, this was all washed down with a nice cup of tea.

After lunch, there was a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday sung to Her Majesty before the afternoon’s entertainment began. Today, it was a ukulele band – and how the guests enjoyed it. Many more came along just to listen. Everyone, regardless of age or ease of movement joined in. Singing, heads nodding, feet tapping – and even dancing in some cases. The band played such classics as You Are My Sunshine, Buddy Holly’s ‘Oh Boy’, Jambalayo, Ain’t She Sweet and of course, a couple of George Formby numbers.

Bramhall Thursday Club is an amazing organisation, and it was truly humbling to be invited along. Run entirely by volunteers – some of whom, it has to be said, are not in the first flush of youth themselves. One lady is nursing her husband at home, and popped out to check up on him. Even transport to and from the club is volunteer-run. Last year, the lunch club celebrated its 30^th anniversary. As volunteer and resident ray of sunshine Frances Smith points out, many of our elderly residents live alone and struggle with mobility, so loneliness and isolation are a very real prospect. For them – for all the guests – the lunch club is the highlight of the week.

Can you help? Even an hour every now and then could make a difference. Bramhall Thursday Club are desperate for volunteers. I promise you’ll love it there.

Visit : Methodist Church, Bramhall Lane South, Bramhall, SK7 1AL

Facebook : The Thursday Club Bramhall 

Email : [email protected]

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