Leonilde, a lady who lives at Sherrell House Care Home in Essex recently sat down with Lifestyle Coordinator Astrid to recall some of her special memories.
Leonilde started by sharing some stories about her childhood and how she was raised in Portugal by her mother and father. She talked fondly about this period and recalls happy memories of the warm weather and traditional foods she used to eat.
Leonilde was an only child and unfortunately dealt with loss at a young age when her father sadly passed away. Shortly after losing her father, her mother became unwell and Leonilde felt like she had a lot on her shoulders. This meant she had to grow up quicker than most other people.
During her teenage years, Leonilde began looking for work and managed to secure a job in a salon. She started by helping out the salon with small tasks, like sweeping up hair and arranging items for the hairdressers.
Working in this salon made Leonilde realise she wanted to pursue a career in hairdressing, so she began her training and eventually became qualified. Leonilde was an extremely talented hairdresser and build a large client base whilst in Portugal.
Despite this, Leonilde decided to go and explore the world, so she packed her bags and spent some time travelling. She went to a variety of different places and explored many different cultures before deciding to settle in England.
Whilst living in the UK, she carried on her career in hairdressing. She got on very well with her boss, who was always impressed with her hard work and endless dedication. So much so that he decided to give half of his business’ profits to her. She was absolutely delighted and remembers crying many happy tears. Leonilde said this is a day she will never forget.