BRIAN Lovelock has always been hooked on fishing.
But it had been years since he last cast off and he was angling to get trout and about again.
Even though Brian, 88, didn’t carp on about it, staff at Austen House in Lower Earley knew salmon had to be done.
Chris Rees and Daniel Cazacu from the home’s maintenance team were so moved hearing Brian reminisce about his past fishing trips their sole aim was to make his dream come true.
The net result was a surprise fin packed day at Ashmoore Lakes, near Old Basing, a plaice they knew Brian would love and where he would have a whale of a time.
Brian, who has lived at Austen House since January, caught several different fish including common and mirror carp during the day. He said: “It is such an amazing feeling to know that such a lovely group of people care so much about me that they helped me to live out a dream and go fishing again.
“I absolutely loved it, nothing beats a day spent fishing. It reminded me of so many other fantastic days I have spent by the water over the years. It is good for the soul. I am so grateful to everyone who helped make it happen.”
Joseph Patterson, General Manager at the home, said: “We believe that every moment is worth cherishing. We want everyone we care for to know how important they are to us here at Austen House. It is testament to the hard work and dedication of the team here in making our residents’ dreams come true. It was wonderful to see how happy Brian was and the staff loved being a part of this as well.”