A fiercely independent man with a lively sense of humour, Jo has lived an interesting life. He has a lifelong love of horses which led him to becoming a jockey in his youth and he retains an interest in horse racing to this day. He was also the head cook at Ampleforth College for many years and still hears from the Benedictine monks from time to time.
Jo, despite having just celebrated his 100th birthday, still lives independently at home and has only recently had help with his food preparation. Irene from our Volunteer Visiting Service has been visiting Jo for five years and over the years a real friendship and empathy between them has developed. So Irene has heard many interesting stories from Jo over the years and is obviously genuinely fond of him. As his eyesight has deteriorated Irene has read his post, made phone calls, filed paperwork but most importantly, at Jo’s bidding, put the kettle on for a cuppa, which invariably requires a refill and something sweet to go with it. This is the time to sit down and chat about current affairs, politics and generally to put the world to rights…and at 100 years old to still want to make the world a better place is a pretty good thing!
