All aboard the memory train

There is nothing more satisfying than hearing the chatter of dozens of people, happy chatter, mixing with old friends and new, drinking tea and tucking into cake. That was the sound of the Buckfastleigh Memory Café and it was backed by the rhymical clatter of a railway line.

This memory café holds a unique position within the world of memory cafés as once a month it becomes mobile… not only is it held on a train, it is a steam train which pulls out of The South Devon Railway terminus at Buckfastleigh, passes through Staverton and arrives at Totnes on a journey that delights so many people.

Kathrine Bailey is the organiser behind this event and once a month as she says, ‘I work on a moving steam train. It may not sound like work as it’s an absolute joy. The third Tuesday of every month, people who have dementia or other memory problems are invited to go on a journey and have a joyful afternoon out. We think it is a first, possibly a world first. We’ve been going for a year, and as yet, nobody has challenged us on this boast. I’m so glad to say that it is still going strong.'

What are the regulations today?

‘There are very few, the only stipulation is that everyone has fun. You don’t even have to book, just turn up on the day. In fact, I know people have come from Buckfast, Ivybridge, Kingsteignton and beyond, everyone is welcome.’

It was Kathrine who came up with this idea some time ago. She wrote a piece for their community newsletter and was contacted by Will Smith from The South Devon Railway who offered her the train.

‘It’s a 64-seat coach and we are very nearly full,’ said Kathrine organising tea and biscuits. ‘I had no idea if it was going to work or indeed how it was going to work but it has… and very well. Today I am relaxed and happy because the passengers are

relaxed and happy. It’s really nice for people to meet each other in this way. We have two memory cafes mingling on this train and we’re all muddled up. I have heard some remarkable stories from some of our guests on the days of steam. One lady went to school on a steam train every day, another remembers the fields catching fire in the summer with the sparks from train funnel. I am delighted that this trip can generate long past memories.’

The next train in October will be the last to ‘run’ this year but the memory café simply transfers to a stationary carriage and will be held right beside the platform, so no impetus is lost. People will meet in a nicely heated carriage for tea and cake and listen to music, sing and once again bring back memories, plus build further on the relationships that have been put together over the past year.

‘It’s the third Tuesday of every month,’ reminds Kathrine. ‘I can’t thank South Devon Railway enough for this chance. People love it. We are unique but I would love other cafes to copy us.’

Contact kathrine@conversationworks.co.uk and check out www.conversationworks.co.uk