Mike and Melanie's story

When Kate Harding talks about her parents, Mike and Melanie Kirkwood, she begins with the story they wrote long before care was ever part of the conversation – a life shaped by languages, travel and curiosity.

Mike and Melanie are both Glaswegian and their love story began in the city in the early 1960s when they met at university in the 60s.

Both studied languages, Russian for Mike and French for Melanie, and this led them into their interesting careers, Mike lecturing and eventually becoming a professor in Russian and Melanie translating for the EU in Brussels.

Their careers took the family across borders. Kate remembers moving to Brussels as a child in 1975 while Mike continued his UK-based academic role, commuting by plane to see his family each weekend.

The years that followed were rich with movement and connection, anchored by family, including Kate and her brother Rob, and, today, six grandchildren.

Mike and Melanie will celebrate their diamond wedding (60 years) anniversary this year, having married in England’s World Cup winning year – not that it would have registered with two patriotic Scots of course!

In retirement, they split their time between Cheltenham and a house in France until travel became harder around Covid.

Mike stayed active long into later life, indulging his love for skiing into his 80s and playing golf and going to the gym.

Melanie, by contrast, was never one for organised pastimes, with reading being her favourite hobby.

Unfortunately, Alzheimer’s took hold of them both and Kate and Rob started to search for a place that could keep them safe, supported and happy.

Their search centred around Hereford as this is where Kate lives, and with Brockington House just around the corner, this is one of homes she visited and two years on, Kate describes it as being “life changing.”

“As soon as I visited it, I just knew this was the place for them,” says Kate.

“It’s so well kept, absolutely spotless and it has a real of positive and upbeat feeling.”

While Mike and Melanie don’t take part in all the activities at the home, they still enjoy the musical events and visits from local students when they come into give massages or to take part in our portrait artist of the year competition.

Kate is clear about the decision choosing Brockington has meant, not only for her parents’ safety, but for the family has a whole.

She adds: “The last few years before they went to Brockington were particularly difficult for mum and dad and also for Rob and me, so it was a relief for us all. We couldn’t be happier, that home has changed all our lives.”

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