Aberdeen care home resident returns to the rink for a trip down memory lane
Lynn Smith, a resident of Cowdray Club Care Home in Aberdeen, has relived some of her fondest memories as she hit the ice to take her back to her days as an ice dancer.
At 79 years old, Lynn was keen to go ice skating again – an activity that brought back cherished memories and led to meeting her late husband, Bill, at the rink many years ago.
Lynn's love for ice skating began when a cousin took her to Donald’s Ice Rink in Aberdeen at the age of ten and, over time, she became a skilled ice dancer, mastering the waltz and foxtrot.
She spent six evenings a week at the rink, with Tuesday being her only night off—because it was closed. During one of those lively sessions, she met Bill, a speed skater who immediately caught her eye.
Lynn said: “He was swishing around the ice, cutting through like he owned the place. I remember thinking he looked so handsome out there.”
I knew I wouldn’t be skating like I used to, but just being on the ice again brought back so many wonderful memories. It’s such a special part of my life, and it felt amazing to feel the cold air and hear the sound of the blades again
Lynn, Resident
“We’d often skate together, and he would always whizz me around the rink and swish ice up at me. It wasn’t long before I fell for him.”
Lynn continued her love for ice skating well into adulthood, even as her career as a special projects manager for Petrofac took her around the world. On one memorable trip to Kazakhstan, she visited the very ice rink used for the Winter Olympics, blending her passion for skating with her professional life.
She and Bill shared their love of skating with their three daughters—Wendy, Nichola, and Claire—often taking them for Saturday afternoon sessions at the rink.
Reflecting on her lifelong love of skating, Lynn fondly recalled receiving her first pair of Stubbart Special ice skates from her father on her 16th birthday.
Lynn said: “I was so proud of those beautiful white leather skates. They made me feel like I was flying.”
Thanks to Cowdray Club’s dedicated team, Lynn was able to hit the ice again, assisted by a wheelchair.
“I was beyond excited for the trip,” she shared. “I knew I wouldn’t be skating like I used to, but just being on the ice again brought back so many wonderful memories. It’s such a special part of my life, and it felt amazing to feel the cold air and hear the sound of the blades again.”
Ana Santos, wellbeing lead at Cowdray Club, said: “Lynn’s love for ice skating is such a big part of her life story, and we were so happy to help her revisit that passion.
“It’s these moments of connection with past experiences that really enrich the lives of our residents.”
Renaissance Care has 17 homes across Scotland, including Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, and Lanarkshire.
The private care homes vary in size and style, ranging from small boutique-style residential care homes with 20 rooms to larger purpose-built care homes for assisted living offering specialist nursing and dementia care.
For more information about Renaissance Care facilities, please visit: https://www.renaissance-care.co.uk/our-homes
