Meet the Residents

Many but not all of our residents have a railway back ground. We are a diverse group that come from all walks of life. The one thing we all have in common is that for whatever reason we have made Woking Homes our home, and that is exactly what it is ‘a home’. The staff and residents alike are a friendly bunch, there is laughter in the corridors and a shoulder to cry on when you need it.

Andy & John

Hi, my name is Andy Haddon, and I officially retired from the rail industry in December 2014 after completing nearly 42 years’ service, although I still work part time in an advisory capacity to South West Trains.

But this is not about me, it’s about my father John.

He joined the Southern Railway in 1936 as a booking office boy at Raynes Park and eventually took early retirement from his job in the Audit Accountants Office for the Southern Region of British Rail at the end of 1979.

We are very much a railway family, with both my grandfather and great-grandfather having worked for the London & South Western Railway and Southern Railway over the years.
My father met my mother when they both worked in the Audit Accountants Office at Dorking, and they married in 1951. Even my mother’s family had a strong connection with the railway as her grandfather worked on the Caledonian Railway and her great uncle for the North British Railway, both based in Glasgow.

After my mother passed away in 2011, my father initially coped very well on his own with help from his neighbours and Age UK, but as time went on and he became more fragile, the falls became more frequent.

Being a very pragmatic man, my father convened a family conference at the beginning of 2016 to discuss his future with myself and my younger brother. We had already suggested some options but he said he would really like to try Woking Homes as he felt the level of care was exactly what he needed, and he could retain his connection with the railway!!

Woking Homes has always been synonymous with the railway and especially the route through Surrey from Waterloo to the south and south west.

My father entered the Home in July 2016 and the management and staff made it a special place for him. Although he went into hospital toward the end of June 2018, Woking Homes were instrumental in bringing him back to the Home and administering all his personal needs until he peacefully passed away at the end of July 2018, three weeks after his 98th birthday.

My brother and I will always be extremely grateful to Woking Homes for looking after our father right up to his final days and affording him the dignity that his life so deserved.

I have become involved with volunteering, running the residents’ bar on a Thursday night and have recently been elected to the Board of Trustees. It is a spirited community with a special bond between the residents, those who work for the home, families, friends, volunteers and the Trustees. It is also a living history lesson with the life tales that residents impart to the interested ear of anyone who may be around at the time!

The home has a proud place in railway history – long may it continue!

Activities

We offer a wide variety of activities and outings.

Meet the Residents

Meet our friendly and diverse group of residents.

Meet the Team

Meet our team of staff who are passionate about the care they provide.

Kind Words