9th November 2026: The Sausage and Mash thank-you lunch came as a total shock to me.

Bobby and Caroline are extremely active, always around for a friendly chat and even delivering home-cooked food to some of the residents. That, however, wasn’t the shock.

I knew the level of their organization; as ever, they sent out a little leaflet saying: “Come along, we want to thank you for being such great neighbours.”

A lovely sentiment.

Days before, I got the shock when I was walking downstairs into the garden day room and Bobby emerged from a side door I had never seen used.

It turned out that three days in advance of the dinner, he and Caroline were cleaning the kitchen area completely.

It had been neglected for years, effectively mothballed.

But that didn’t stop them. They were like banshees, moving from surface to surface, cleaning, re-cleaning, tidying up, and trying to make a slightly dilapidated kitchen area into a fully hygienic palace, again (they succeeded).

Caroline is well versed in the hospitality trade, and it showed in her attitude, everything had to be just right, hygiene was paramount.

Bobby, who never stops, was ably washing anything and everything, making things pristine with the energy of a fanatic.

On the requisite afternoon, everyone came to the front dayroom and the tables had been drawn together.

We sat down to a delicious repast of Cumberland sausages, potatoes, and every form of green you could want, with condiments aplenty.

Everyone tucked in and conversation flowed.

It was a lovely afternoon with plenty of dessert. Nothing had been forgotten by the hospitable duo; even the smallest detail was handled. There was enough food to feed an army.

They always insist in cleaning up, and afterwards everything was left spotless, not a crumb on the floor.

It was a wonderful, hospitable late lunch, and what a magnificent “thank-you.” from Bobby and Caroline.

[Brian, originally drafted in Jan 2026.]

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