Never happier

Sue Nicholson and her husband Ken were never happier than when they were indulging their passion for narrowboats.

They got the bug after hiring one for a holiday and Sue still recalls the unusual sensation of feeing like that they were still on the water even when they were back at home on dry land!

This prompted them to purchase their own boat, and they had three in total over the years, until Ken’s sudden death in 2017 sadly brought this to an end.

“It was a real hobby for us, and we travelled all over the UK and had some wonderful times,” says Sue.

Ken was an engineer and Sue used to work in a knitwear factory as a Mender, which, as the name suggests, involved mending faults in garments.

They met in a pub and married after a courtship lasting 12 months, with Sue saying they had a very happy life together.

Caremark Mansfield and Ashfield began supporting Sue after she underwent surgery on her hip which has affected her mobility. Our carers help her to get up on a morning and provide some personal care and anything else which she is unable to do herself.

“I want to remain as independent as possible but it’s nice having the comfort of knowing they are there,” says Sue.

Sue also attends our monthly coffee club and says she is particularly enjoying the social interaction.

“It’s nice to meet other people and take part in the activities,” she adds.