George's story

When I moved to Thistle’s new residential home Blythswood House in the 1980s it was the start of my new life. It was so much nicer than anywhere I’d been before; I had my own en suite and the rooms were big. My mum and dad were delighted that I had found somewhere I was happy. They saw how busy my life was getting and used to say they’d have to make an appointment to see me, my days were that full!

My parents died the same year that Blythswood House closed so I chose to move to Wighton House in Edinburgh. I moved across and stayed there for a couple of years. But when Thistle closed Wighton House, life really began! I moved into my own home for the first time.

I love it here. I can do what I like; I have my own space and freedom. I have a great “squad”: a team of Thistle people who come round about 40 hours a week. They’ve been with me for about 3 years, so we all know each other really well.

These days, life is busy, and I’m always doing something. In the morning, I’ll go out and get my messages. Back at home, I do the housework with my squad. We all help out. Same goes for the cooking. Nick often comes indoor bowling with me in the evenings. I’ve taught him how to play, but somehow he ends up beating me! We are very competitive…

I know how delighted my mum and dad would be, seeing me in my own home, living my own life. I’ll never forget Mum telling me to keep things clean and tidy when she wasn’t around – I hope she thinks this is good enough!