Fish & chips with good friends

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Dolly and Anna have been friends for a year and a half. They were introduced through our Love Your Neighbour Programme at North London Cares, which matches up older and younger neighbours who wouldn’t normally get the chance to know one another for conversation and companionship. 

Every week Anna pops round to see Dolly and they have a catch up about what’s going on in both of their lives. Dolly turned 90 in October, and of course her and Anna wanted to celebrate her birthday in style! 

This year we have been able to give a Love Your Neighbour budget to each of our pairs, which has allowed them to do something special and memorable together, to celebrate their friendship. After much deliberation, Anna and Dolly decided to go out for posh fish and chips for Dolly’s birthday. 

As Dolly told me: “It was lovely. We went to Oliver’s Fish and Chips, and they sat us right in the window. It was some of the best fish and chips I’ve ever had! The batter was beautiful.”

Anna agreed: “We didn’t manage to eat it all because they gave us so many chips!”

It was even more of a treat for Dolly because she isn’t able to get out on her own. Anna said: “We picked a good day – it was really sunny, such a nice day for Dolly to be out on. Because the weather was so good I suggested that I push Dolly back in her wheelchair so we could enjoy the sunshine for longer.”

Dolly laughed, “I couldn’t believe it, Anna pushed me all the way back down Haverstock Hill! She’s so strong! I’ll remember that for a long time.”

Both Dolly and Anna really enjoyed going out together and being able to do something special for Dolly’s birthday. 

They also love coming once a month to the North London Cares Marchmont Centre film club, and are looking forward to checking out Camden SINGS!, our brand new choir which is local for both of them. Dolly is already looking forward to the film next week: “We like to go to the pictures, don’t we Anna?”

However, they both have quite different tastes in film: “Dolly likes the old musical films which I’m not so much a fan of!” 

One thing they did agree on though was the Halloween film, the Addams Family. 

“It was lovely to get out with Anna, but we both thought that the Addams family were creepy!” 

Dolly’s opinion matters a lot to Anna, which is why she’s bringing round her boyfriend tomorrow to introduce him to Dolly. “She’ll whip him into shape for me!” Anna joked. 

For Anna, visiting Dolly is a welcome break from her busy working day, and a chance to hang out with someone who has a lifetime’s worth of stories to tell.  For Dolly, who doesn’t go out much, Anna’s visits have become a highlight of each week, and have made her feel more connected to the outside world. Both of them love spending time together, and having a friend of a different age and from a different generation as their neighbour. 

We can’t wait to hear what Anna and Dolly get up to next!