Roy lives in Warwickshire with his extended family. In March, his lovely daughter Fi suggested that he take his beloved bench and place it at the front of the garden overlooking the road. What started off as a casual wave here and there turned into a daily occupation, with people honking their horns, runners passing by clapping and neighbours shouting out encouragement.
Then came Vamos Theatre's The Wednesday Wave, which Roy heard about through ‘Buddies’, a dementia meet that he attended every week in Leamington Spa at a local pub. Since lockdown the group have been meeting via Zoom and everyone, including Roy, were keen to support the initiative as they were acutely aware of feeling lonely and isolated sometimes.
So Roy, with further help from family, friends and neighbours updated and added The Wednesday Wave signs, lights and then Christmas trees to his bench. Roy went on to say that it’s not the first time the wave has been so successful. It transpires the wave goes back not just to October 2020 but to the 1980s, when Roy used to take his mannequin that he got off a mate that ran a clothes shop and dressed her up as a nurse. "Angela" as she became known, his sales assistance, went on trips with him across Lancashire to the care homes were he sold carers' uniforms that he was making in his small workshop. Angela would sit in the car and he had set her arm up so as she went along, her arm would wave to passers-by! It was so realistic that residents would often wave to Angela out of the care home window and on more than one occasion staff brought her out a cup of tea!!
The funny side was not always appreciated and he had a letter of complaint printed in the Nursing Times about him driving around in his van with a blow-up doll, with the intention of mocking nurses. Following further correspondence and supporting photos, the misunderstanding was cleared up and later featured in the ‘Sunday Sport’.
Roy, 86, said he’s going to carry on waving after the 16th December as he feels very fortunate to have so much love and support but he knows a lot of people don’t. He thinks we all should be encouraged to wave, smile and talk to each other – my attitude is to try and be cheerful, he said – bravo, Roy, bravo
Roy Sager (with Hazel Ratcliffe)
Great stuff. Keep up the good work and enjoy Pops. ????
Reply