Hazelgrove Court Care Home Saltburn pensioners pen book

The residents from Hazelgrove Court Care Home in Saltburn, have taken part in an intergenerational project as part of The Together Project’s Crafting Connections.

As part of the scheme, residents were encouraged to write short stories for their young Crafting Connections friends.

Eight-year-old Iris Sutherland with a story written by her Crafting Connections friend Joyce Tibbett, 92, a resident at Hazelgrove Court Care Home (Image: Supplied)

Sharon Lewis, the care home’s activities co-ordinator, said: “Our residents came up with some amazing stories, so we decided to have them made into a book.

“They are very excited about seeing their stories in print and we are going to send a copy to each one of their Crafting Connections friends as a gift.”

The stories were so well received that Ms Lewis arranged to have them printed as a professionally bound book titled “Our Stories for our Crafting Connections Friends.”

Sheila O’Neill, 85, with the book of children’s stories written by residents at Hazelgrove Court Care Home. (Image: Supplied)

Among them is The Panda That Asked Why, written by 92-year-old Joyce Tibbett.

Mrs Tibbett said: “I wanted to write a story about a panda as I know this is Iris, my Crafting Connections friend’s, favourite animal.”

Ninety-five-year-old Joyce Baxtrem based her story on her young partner.

Joyce Tibbett, 92, a resident at Hazelgrove Court Care Home. (Image: Supplied)

She said: “Sam has been my friend for a long time, and he is like a superhero to me, cheering me up every month, so I wrote about a superhero called Sam.”

Other stories include The Frog Who Wanted To Sing, written by 94-year-old Ellen Else.

She said: “I love to sing, so wanted to write a story about singing, so wrote the frog who wanted to sing.”

– Ellen Else, 94, showing her story, The Frog Who Wanted To Sing, published in a book of children’s tales written by residents at Hazelgrove Court Care Home. (Image: Supplied)

One of those friends is eight-year-old Iris Sutherland, who received Joyce Tibbett’s panda story.

She said: “I really like the story that Joyce sent me because my favourite animal is a panda and it keeps asking questions – it was a funny story.”

Iris’ mum, Alex Sutherland, who works for The Together Project, said: “The thing they loved about the story was that the panda was just like Iris – always asking questions and looking at the world in a funny way.”

Hazelgrove Court Care Home plans to continue taking part in Crafting Connections, with residents already discussing ideas for future projects.