You may recall a beautiful story about a wonderful lady named Dot who lives at Marham House, and a lovely man named Tim. Throughout the lockdown Tim would walk his dog past our home and Dot would look out for him and wave. It became one of the highlights of Dot’s Day.

At Christmas Tim dropped by Marham House with a gift for Dot. Dot was so grateful, and we all fell in love with Tim just a little bit more.

The rules on visiting care homes have been strict, numbers limited, and duration constrained but this week the limitations have been removed and families and friends have been welcomed back with open arms.

It has been wonderful to see the faces of our residents as they welcomed people into their home once more. The sound of laughter emanating from the rooms said it all.

Families have been reunited and it has been marvellous. There have been many tearful moments of sheer joy as grandparents and grandchildren reconnected and old friends got together once more.

And it wasn’t just old friends; Dot and her new friend Tim were finally able to meet face to face. Tim had spoken to the team and arranged to surprise Dot with a visit. It was incredibly moving, the smile on Dot’s face when she saw him there waiting for her will be etched in our memories forever.

The two of them spent time getting to know each other, they chatted, and they laughed, and it was a joy to see. Tim brought Dot a little gift along with him, some cakes for her to share with her friends.

Who would have thought all of this would develop from a simple wave between two strangers? Tim, you are a wonderful human being, thank you from all of us.