Longridge care home resident spends hours working in secret to give friend of 50 years an anniversary present

George Holden, 95, has honoured his long bond with Jim Walker, 87, in the shape of a wooden chair to signify when they first met. George, a talented furniture maker from Longridge, worked in secret to restore and carve the chair for his friend with the help of the home’s maintenance operator Craig Ward. He spent hours renovating a weather-beaten garden chair before painstakingly carving the inscription ‘Jim Walker, Shepherd of Bowland’ into the wood.

He also added a Latin inscription ‘Pastor Amica’, which means ‘gentle shepherd’. Another resident, Ron Hudson, helped by painting all the lettering in black paint.

Keen walker George Holden first met sheep farmer Jim Walker over fifty years ago when he was leading a tour of walkers through his farm in the Trough of Bowland. Over the years, whenever Jim spotted him walking a new group of people through the valley, which is in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, he would make sure to lean over a farm gate for a chat and they became friends.

As luck would have it, half a century later, much to their surprise, the two men met again when they moved into rooms next door, but one, from each other in Longridge Hall Care Home at about the same time two years ago.

George presented Jim, 87, with the chair during a recent event at the home and asked Craig to read out a moving speech he had prepared. Craig said: “It has been incredible working in secret with George on this project. Whenever I’ve had some spare time, I’ve collected him from his room and we’ve worked together on the chair. He is such a talented craftsman and so creative.

"While we’ve been working together, he has told me all about some of the amazing things he has made over the years, including wooden toys, rocking horses and grandfather clocks.

"We all had tears to our eyes – it was just so wonderful to see two good pals honouring a 50-year friendship”

“It was George’s idea to design the chair and I sanded it down and varnished it while he did all the intricate work and chiselled the wording. He has fond memories of walking along Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland so the lettering is inspired by the original Hadrian typeface. It was a big surprise and incredibly moving when George presented Jim with the chair in front of all the residents and George’s daughter, Jean. Everyone was amazed and we all had tears in our eyes. It was just so wonderful to see two good pals honouring a 50-year friendship.”

Tracey Hartley, manager of Longridge Hall Care Home, added: “We have such a strong sense of community in the home and the friendship between Jim and George really epitomises this.”

The chair now takes pride of place in Jim’s room and everyone comments on it when they pop in to chat to him.