Norah has first paddle in 20 years

A 92-year-old woman paddled in the sea for the first time in 20 years as Blackpool basked in glorious sunshine.
Lorraine Ferguson and Norah Corkhill from Glen Tanar care homeLorraine Ferguson and Norah Corkhill from Glen Tanar care home
Lorraine Ferguson and Norah Corkhill from Glen Tanar care home

Norah Corkhill had not left her home at Glen Tanar Rest Home for almost a year due to ill health.

But when temperatures rose to more than 20 degrees this Bank Holiday Monday, she decided to walk from the home on Cavendish Road, Bispham, to the Queen’s Promenade and kick off her shoes.

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And the former ammunitions worker even felt well enough to return the following day for a paddle.

Lorraine Ferguson, manager at Glen Tanar, who accompanied Norah to the beach, said: “She’s not actually been out of the care home since she got here. She’s been here roughly about a year. She’s quite active in the home and the gardens, but she never felt up to going out.

“She was determined she would walk. We got to the Prom and she said ‘I’ve reached my goal’.

“She started walking from the Prom on to the beach and took her slippers off and had a paddle.

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“It has been 20 years since the last time she was in the water.

“I was a bit wary about going down the ramp with her but we wanted to try it to see if she could make it. Obviously we had the wheelchair in case she couldn’t manage. But we didn’t need it.”

Norah, a mum of one, said: “I used to go down Squires Gate and see the beach from there. With my health I wasn’t feeling good.

“I have always liked the sea. The manager took me down and it was really nice of her.”

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