Twenty-five pensioners from West Cumbria enjoyed a nostalgic trip back in time, with a little help from bus company Stagecoach.
The group boarded an X5 double-decker in Cockermouth for a scenic ride along Bassenthwaite Lake to Keswick.
After being treated to coffee and cake in the café at Booths, they saw a performance of The Blonde Bombshells of 1943 – a musical drama set during World War II – at the Theatre by the Lake. They even met the cast.
The trip was the latest Grand Day Out, a joint initiative between Stagecoach and Age UK to help older people make friends and explore places and attractions they might not know.
It certainly proved a hit with the party from Cockermouth.
Anne Kielland, 77, of Dovenby, said: “We had a wonderful afternoon. [Without the trip] we’d have just been at home being miserable, maybe just having the TV as a companion. We wouldn’t have much of a quality of life.”
Mary Cardwell, 79, of Cockermouth, added: “It has been absolutely divine. We loved every minute of it. You see more [on the bus] than when you’re driving. I think that’s the joy of it.”
And Hilary Littlewood, 77, from near Ireby, said: “We all had a great journey. It’s so easy. You don’t have to worry about parking or worry about anything.”
This was the sixth Grand Day Out. The initiative began in 2021 as a one-off campaign to encourage older people to make better use of their free bus passes and reassure them that bus travel was safe after the Covid-19 pandemic.
It was so successful that it was repeated across Cumbria. Local businesses offer discounts, freebies and experiences to make the trips more memorable.
Tom Waterhouse, interim managing director of Stagecoach Cumbria and North Lancashire, said: “We’re delighted to support this initiative with Age UK.
“It shows that the bus is much more than a method for getting from A to B. By enabling people to socialise, make friends and go on trips, the bus enriches lives and helps to combat loneliness and isolation.”
Ali Desovska, a community worker with Age UK West Cumbria, said: “We don’t have our own transport to take our pensioners to the places we’ve visited with Stagecoach, so it’s been fantastic to work with them on these days out.
“The feedback is always excellent. As soon as we’ve enjoyed one Grand Day Out, they all want to know when the next one is and where we’re going.”
