I think one of my highlights is lunch time, it is absolutely beautiful.
The Flats at Pearey House
Jean
Well, I lived here about 20 years ago when it was the old ones and then I moved to start working for the Blind Society in Wallsend. I had a big fire in my house and lost everything and asked if there was any vacant flats and there was and that was 13 years ago so I am still here.
Joan
I happened to be here one time and I was in a bungalow on my own and they used to pick us up, but I was offered the flat, they showed me around it and I accepted it and that was almost 7 years ago.
Jean
I love it.
Joan
I like it.
Jean
Everybody is friendly, you haven’t got anybody that you could actually say you don’t get on with.
Joan
I come on a Wednesday morning and I will also have my lunch here and then I come on Friday for the coffee morning.
Jean
I only come over here on a Wednesday and get my lunch. But regarding things in your flat from Pearey House, say for instance something happened to your washing machine or your electricity or anything they always get the electrician and do everything like that for you. If you have an accident in the house they’re straight over and they are there to talk to as well.
It’s always good absolutely perfect. Friendly. We all love each other, there’s never any bad feelings about anybody, but we all love Helen. She will go out of her way for you the same as Stephen.
Joan
Oh yes, the slightest little thing that you can’t do or anything, they’re here.
Jean
Shopping, you make the list out for the Sunday and then they bring your shopping on a Friday morning. Sometimes you can’t be bothered to do a meal, but I get mine every day apart from Saturday and Sunday. They bring it over.
If you need a chat and you’re upset, they sit and listen to you. Where else would you get that. I think they might laugh when I say this to people, I think one of my highlights is lunch time, it is absolutely beautiful.
We are going on holiday, I’ve been on all the holidays and we go 28th of this month we’re going away, there’s only 12 of us this time.
The walking group at Northumberlandia
Joan
We have day trips out in the summer.
Jean
Loads and loads of places. They have a walking group but if you can’t manage they take us in the car where you get dropped off and you have qualified people that take us round. We went to that lovely hotel for brunch the Dome. Helen took us there and honestly it was beautiful. She takes you everywhere. I mean, if you suggest something, we had a karaoke night and all the lights flashing in the bar and everything, everybody loved that. We are waiting for the sunny weather because we all get out.
Joan
Yeah, we all get out and have a good old natter and a laugh.
Queen’s anniversary celebration
Jean
When it was the anniversary like the Queen, we had all the tables out and that was for anybody to go to it was tickets it was great.
Joan
I come Wednesday mornings at 10 o’clock and we have a little natter then we have games or every so often we’ll have a singsong. Now that’s what I like the singsong, and we thoroughly enjoy ourselves. I like it here.
Jean and Joan were interviewed as part of the Pearey House 150th Anniversary Project.