Vivienne reliving musical memories

A priceless gift for Bupa Croydon resident.

Vivienne lives with dementia but remembers her father making instruments. A visit from a violin maker is a day she’ll never forget.

From Bupa Croydon

Vivienne is 98 years old and lives with dementia but she has clear childhood recollections of watching her father make instruments.

“I was always around when he was making them. He’d be out in the garage somewhere and I’d be there too. I’d just be watching. You didn’t interfere with someone making an instrument,” Vivienne chuckled.

Years later, music still has a very powerful impact on Vivienne.

Recently, Vivienne had the opportunity to meet Andre Ozturk a violin maker who lives and breathes music.

Andre discovered a cello he'd bought was almost a hundred years old, and was made by a highly regarded cello maker: Nelson Hardy Oliver (Vivienne's father).

Andre was determined to find out more and employed a genealogist to help.

“I realised in my searches on Ancestry that he may well have one surviving child. So, I became pretty anxious to find her in the hope of being able to play her this cello,” Andre said.

Karen Cole, General Manager Bupa Croydon was in on the elaborate plan, with Andre bringing the cello which Vivienne's father had made, many, many years ago.

"Having Andre come to our home and share his passion for music was beautiful. It took Vivienne back to such a happy time in her childhood, remembering watching her father making the instruments. It is always so interesting which aspects a person living with dementia will remember. They say music is a universal language, having Andre and Vivienne together demonstrates it is a language that crosses generations," said Karen.

Vivienne Groves is a resident at Bupa Croydon.