A CARE home resident had his dream come true last month as two dozen fellow mods took him on a trip of a lifetime.
A lifelong mod, 70-year-old Jimmy Reynolds is currently in receipt of palliative care at Belong Care Home on Mealhouse Lane in Atherton.
After discussing his passion for mod culture with his carers, which became prominent in the 1960s with a focus on music and fashion, they put the wheels in motion to rekindle his dream.
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After Belong carers approached mods from Wigan Scooter Club and Bolton Two Hats Scooter Club, more than two dozen mods jumped on their scooters and headed to Atherton to make Jimmy's day.
The kind-hearted group took their fellow mod on a ride in a sidecar around Atherton and enjoyed the chance to ‘talk shop’ and share their stories.
Speaking of the experience, Jimmy said: “When I saw what my carers had done, I was both shocked and overwhelmed. This was a great thing, and I am grateful to all who gave up their time to do this for me.”
Beginning in the 1950s, Modernists, commonly known as Mods, made their mark frequenting jazz clubs, donning fine Italian suits whilst their trademark Lambretta and Vespa scooters were parked outside.
The culture grew throughout the UK during the 1960s with a focus on music and fashion, and influenced bands such as the Jam and the Who and the film Quadrophenia in the 1970s.
Today, the subculture continues with a more casual approach to fashion, with Parkas and Harrington jackets and boots key wardrobe staples, with scooters enduring the key part of the lifestyle.
Speaking about how the plan came together, Kim Calland, experience coordinator at Belong Atherton, said: “A big part of our role is supporting our customers to do the things they want to do, so we sat down with our wonderful Jimmy to find out more.
“Straightaway, we hatched a plan to make his wishes happen, reaching out to my former university lecturer, Dean McShane – also a Mod – who put a shout out to his community to visit Jimmy and the response was overwhelming, we couldn’t believe it when so many of them braved the rain and turned up on our doorstep. We can’t thank them enough for their generosity.”
Following the event, Dean McShane tweeted on social media platform X: “A huge thank you to the amazing people from the scooter clubs and Belong who gave Jimmy a dream day!
"He went out in the side car and was given full Mod 5-star treatment.
Faith in humanity restored, up the Mods!”
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