Marjorie can’t rein in her delight on trip to Yarmouth Races

 Our team went the extra furlong to make a horse racing enthusiast’s dream to go to another meeting come true.

Marjorie Bubb, 86, was treated to a day at Yarmouth Races thanks to the team at Brooklands Care Home in Norwich.

Marjorie grew up in Banstead just a short distance from Epsom Downs racecourse, home of the Derby which is the biggest flat race on the British calendar. As a girl, she made numerous trips to Epsom with her family which is where her love for horse racing blossomed.

“It became a passion of mine and have since followed racing all my life. I often backed Queen Elizabeth II’s horses over the years with mixed success,” Marjorie said.

“I remember when Aureole, the first horse that she inherited from her father King George VI, came second at the Epsom Derby! I never thought I would get the chance to go to another meeting, but the wonderful team here have made my dream a reality.”

The meeting came just days after the Queen’s passing and the race day programme featured a tribute to her and her love of racing.

Marjorie added: “It was a wonderful experience. I still enjoy watching the racing on TV but there’s no substitute for being there and soaking up the atmosphere. Sadly I didn’t have any winners but I invited a couple of my friends, Betty and Iain, to come with me and Iain won £160!

To make her day even better, our team arranged for Marjorie to meet jockey, Hayley Turner OBE, the first woman to ride 100 UK flat race winners during a calendar year. Majorie was thrilled to exchange a few words and to have her photograph taken with her.

Our manager Karen Willimott said: “We’re always looking for ways for our residents to engage with their passions and Marjorie has been beaming since she came back. She always enjoys watching the racing on the television. Iain who went along is also a lifelong racing fan and Betty’s dad used to be a bookmaker so this was the perfect day out for them all.

“Something we are very big on here at Brooklands is that moving in doesn’t mean your hobbies and interests have to come to an end. We pride ourselves on treating all our residents as individuals and our wonderful lifestyle team are always coming up with ideas to allow them to keep making their dreams come true.”