Tea and Memories pop-up shop will help to roll back the years in east Antrim

Tea and Memories takes place over the week beginning October 18 in a new pop-up shop on the town’s High Street, thanks to access to a film archive jam packed with over 1,500 evocative scenes from those eras.

The Pop-Up Shop programme is a Mid and East Antrim Borough Council initiative running in Carrickfergus, Ballymena and Larne town centres to August 2022. Click here

The films will cover everything from news to advertisements spanning topics including holidays, transport, work, home life, sport, hobbies and much more.

The event, hosted by Abbeyfield and Wesley Housing Association, will help spark treasured memories. It has already been piloted at the charity’s residencies across Northern Ireland, with much success, and now it wants to allow other members of the community to delve into the archives while enjoying a cuppa and good company.

Sally Campton, community engagement manager from the Abbeyfield and Wesley charity, said: “We’re coming out of a period of almost two years of lockdowns and isolation for many older people in the community. This event was planned to encourage that generation to get out and socialise in a safe setting and enjoy reliving memories of life in Northern Ireland during their formative years. We’ve already piloted the event at our residences around NI with much success and as a result we’ve ignited new bonds and friendships. We have no doubt we can do the same in the wider community with the magic that is Tea and Memories.”

Ethel, a local Abbeyfield resident, recently took part in a session and said: “I loved it. It brought back so many memories and it was great to chat with others about the things we all remembered. We all enjoyed a good laugh with it.”

With two sessions daily, 10.30am and 2.00pm, the event is aimed at older members of the community who have been isolated during the Covid-19 pandemic. Booking is essential: email [email protected]

Abbeyfield and Wesley Housing Association manages supported, sheltered houses in a number of locations including Ballyclare, Carrick, Greenisland and Newtownabbey. It also runs sheltered schemes in Carrick, Newtownabbey and Belfast.

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