WHEN Knighton resident Dee Naylor decorated her front door with a pair of ice skates last Christmas, she had no idea just how precious a gift she was giving to one elderly lady who she’s never met and who lives more than 100 miles away.
The skates were spotted by Elizabeth Halls, who lives in Knucklas and was walking in the Church Street area of town around the festive period. She took a picture of them and sent it to her elderly mother who lives near Derby and suffers with Alzheimer’s.
Despite being 95 and requiring a live-in carer, the picture evoked “magical” memories from Elizbeth’s mum’s past, of when she used to skate as a teenager on a frozen reservoir near her home; and Elizabeth said seeing the skates have “brought my mum back to life”.
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Elizabeth’s mum’s carer even managed to find her old pair of ice skates in the attic and she then hung them on the inside of the door at her house, so that whenever her mum walked past she lit up and began telling stories of her joyous youth spent ice skating during the turbulent time of World War II.
“I saw this beautiful door on the other side of the street,” said Elizabeth.
“It’s a Victorian house and instead of the usual Christmas wreath on the door there were these beautiful vintage ice skates with holly coming out of them. I took a photo and sent them to my mother’s carer; she lives over 100 miles away with her live-in carers.
“Her wonderful carer showed her this photo and I knew it would get mum talking. She’s 95 and has Alzheimer’s but one of her favourite memories is skating as a teenager, she loves skating.
“As she talked she said she knew she had skates in the house. When mum was asleep the carer went upstairs, dug around in the attic found her old pair of skates and brought them down to show her, then hung them on the inside of her door.
“So, whenever mum went to the loo or upstairs there they were and every visitor who came saw them and commented on them, and mum would tell them the story.
“When she was a teenager there was a beautiful place nearby where the owners used to let people come and skate on the reservoir and they provided hot drinks and snacks and it was magical.
“During the war they had very cold winters and lots of ice and it’s just one of those joyful memories for my mum.”
Elizabeth then received a fountain pen and some paper from her husband as a Christmas present, so she decided to write a letter to Dee – the Church Street resident who’d put the skates on the door – even though she had no idea of her name or who she was.
“Dee contacted me and we’ve said we must get together for a drink or coffee, so we will do that and hopefully there’s a new friendship that comes out of it,” added Elizabeth.
“Lots of people online have commented and said it’s brought tears to their eyes, I think it’s struck a lot of chords.
“It’s really lovely and very touching for me. My mum’s carer was so touched to see how much it brought my mum back to life. A memory has been awoken in her and she’s off.
“It means a lot to all of us and I think it also speaks to the power of a written letter too; getting a handwritten letter has its own sort of special magic in it.”
The heartwarming story also touches on the concept of the ‘six degrees of separation’ – that everyone in the world is six or fewer social connections away from each other.
Also known as ‘six handshakes rule’, it was explored in the 2004 film Crash, starring Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, Thandie Newton and Ryan Phillippe.
Dee, owner of the house with the ice skates wreath, posted Elizabeth’s letter to a Facebook group called ‘I Love My Period House’, a renovations and appreciation group.
The post was spotted by Hampshire resident Ellen Simpson, one of the group’s other 27,000 members, who then contacted the County Times to share its sentiment.
In a post on the group back in January, Dee said: “I've always longed for just a little front garden to pretty the front up, but that's impossible. So instead, I always have a decoration of sorts on the front door.
“This year I put some old leather skates up for Christmas. I love them, so imagine my surprise and great joy that a complete stranger took the time to write.
“We got this letter the other day (and it) absolutely blew me away. I love celebrating occasions on the front door, so (it’s) lovely that this lady took time to write. It’s the small things that bring so much joy.”
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