At 76 and lonely, your coffee morning sounds wonderful.
WEDNESDAY MORNINGS - Re-Starting May 19th 2021 10.30am - 1pm £10 Ground Coffee / Dozens of Teas / Juice & a selection of Cakes / Pate & Toasts / Cheese & Biscuits and most of all COMPANY
Men often need the company of other men. Gay / Bi / Straight / Trans - MEN...
During this lockdown year, Hamilton Hall has received hundreds of e mails from elderly men alone and going slowly nuts with no company, or they say they have felt trapped with just the family all day every day and it was driving all to despair - on both sides.
Here is a perfect opportunity to mix with other men in a safe and confidential environment.
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Thank goodness this is nearly over John and your delightful hotel will be welcoming us back again. It's been a long time and considering I stay with you at least 5 times a year, your insanity, your laughter, your stories and your very way of life has been so missed I cannot tell you. I desperately need a little Hammy Hall madness.
Soon. Steve.
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Dear Hamilton Hall. I have seen on your web site that you host Coffee Mornings for men and wanted to ask if this will commence again after or when you re open. I am a married man and bisexual and this long period at home with no avenue of escape - for my wife as well as for myself, has been very hard on our relationship.
Ad soon as you re start these weekly coffee mornings I shall be there with bells on and cannot wait. Geoff. ( Southampton )
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As a 76 year old now living alone since my partner died after more than 20 years, my loneliness was becoming increasingly unbearable, despite therapies and anti-depressives. I would tell anyone who would listen that I am lonely and all I wanted invites, acceptance to mine, a hug. The response was often that I needed to get out more, visit one of those old peoples luncheons provided by local charities, take a walk, go to a movie, find a friend (!), etc. but this last year alone at home because of Covid has been unbearable. I have been talking to the telly, to the walls, all in the hope that someone would talk back to me but other than 2 minute conversations in Tesco with the women on the till, that's all I get to talk with another human being in a week... a 2 minute conversation.
I searched for anything that was friendly to us older gay men and eventually found Hamilton Hall and would ideally love to be able to afford to move in, but finances mean I rely on the council and I am at a loss, so within a few days I'm entering a retirement “home," seemingly the ultimate solution. The place is nice. I've seen it. Friendly people, activities. I'm going for a month's trial and I'm nervous, and even, I might say, terrified. What are the odds off another gay man being in the place or someone I can share gay talk with, but then, as long as I can talk and share with another human being will be a joy.
It was hoped I could find a place up here like your Hamilton Hall and your Wednesday Coffee Mornings would have been a happy respite for me to meet others - but being in Rochester, it's a bit far to go.
I enjoy your Blog John and wish you the very best and hope you keep friends and family around you as lonliness really is an emotional killer I would not wish on anyone. Edward M.
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Dear Hamilton Hall. My wife died of Covid 5 months ago. She had dementia and was in a Care Home which was hit badly by the virus and 4 people died in one week. I was at a loss as I couldn't ever see her. The council grabbed her and just took her body and left me asking over and over to unhelpful council officials where my wife was and the abuse shown by my local council was heartbreaking and my son is looking into taking legal action as the council buried my wife and didn't even tell me. We were both on benefits and although could not afford a funeral, my son would have helped so there was no reason to steal her body. We were married for 47 years. She knew I was gay and we had a special arrangement as she wa snot sexual and w ehad our son early and then lived as close loving friends for over 4 decades. I miss her terribly and now want to come pout more and meet some friendly men for conversations and friendship. Your coffee morning sounds perfect but a bit far away. I wish there was something like this offered here in the north. If I can say one thing it is that we must be
happy with being in the moment because before you know it the decades have passed and you are old before you know what happened.
Good luck with your re opening in May and maybe my sone can bring me down some time as at 76, and disabled, it is not easy to get around these days. As the only gay men in the rest home I live in, I have few to talk to. Lonely. Morris.
-------------------------------------------------------------- John: Sorry to see you are closed still as I am here in Bournemouth working locally on contract and they have put me up in a Best Western Hotel which is really crummy. I had hoped to be able to stay with you at Hamilton Hall but you are closed because of the pandemic government order. I am booked to stay with you on May 19th the day you re open and shall look forward to a bit of insanity, nudity, laughter and men - naked - together... Cannot tell you the last time I had any gay connection with another man. Robert.
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