“I nearly fell off my chair,” said Abingdon care home resident who saw Churchill on VE Day

Wartime memories of seeing Winston Churchill took centre stage at an Abingdon Care home as they celebrated VE Day

Wartime memories of seeing Winston Churchill took centre stage at an Abingdon Care home as they celebrated VE Day.

Colin Turner revealed to the team at Bridge House Care Home, in Thames View, which provides, residential, nursing, palliative and specialist dementia care, that he saw Churchill as he travelled to Chequers after delivering the message that the war was over at Buckingham Palace.

The team at the 71-bed home marked the occasion with a specially prepared Union Jack cake, music from the 1940s, wartime memorabilia, and a traditional afternoon tea.

“As Winston Churchill left Buckingham Palace to travel to Chequers, word spread that he’d be passing through Princes Risborough, where we lived,” Colin said.

“My sister and I dragged the kitchen chairs up to the front window to watch. As his car came down the street, it stopped—and Churchill actually leaned out and said, ‘Hello children, how are you?’ I nearly fell off my chair!

“It’s only now I realise how few people can say they saw Winston Churchill face to face on VE Day itself. It was unforgettable.”

The team were honoured to help Colin share his story as part of the home’s VE Day celebration, and were also joined by 102-year-old veteran Nobby Clarke, who was stationed at Portsmouth with the Royal Navy during the war.

“I wasn’t a hero, I just did what I had to,” said Nobby.

Riverly Club manager and lifestyle coordinator Chantelle Merritt said: “Colin’s story brought history to life in a way that no textbook or film ever could.

“We wanted our VE Day event to be about remembering, reflecting, and honouring our residents’ own stories.

“At Bridge House, we get to know everyone as individuals and when we heard Colin’s story we were amazed.

“Colin’s memory of Churchill made us really think about the everyday lives of people who lived through it.

“It was truly moving for the team, residents, and guests to hear it in his own words. These memories are such a privilege to preserve and celebrate.”