Thamesmead’s over 50’s group, the Pop in Parlour based at Evenlode House, Coraline Walk in Thamesmead held a pampering afternoon on Wednesday 17 November.

Self employed beauty therapists paid to attend the afternoon, which raised money for Age Concern’s Pop in Parlour, and offered treatments at cut price, including reflexology, shoulder and back massages, waxing as well as hand and feet paraffin wax. There was also a foot doctor on call to see to all those annoying foot problems.

Trust Thamesmead’s Community Development Officer for Central Thamesmead, Linda Delieu said: “Afternoons like this are priceless in what they offer to people. Not only does it give the over 50s a chance to pamper themselves but it offers them something that they would not usually be able to attend or probably afford were they to go to a salon.”

Eighty year old Dolly Harvey pictured having her nails done, has been attending the Pop in Parlour since 1994 and volunteers there twice a week, she said “Without the Pop in I’d have nothing-all my friends are here.” Adding, “I met my husband at the Pop in (in 1994), he proposed to me here, we had a wedding blessing here (in 1999), we held his wake here and I had my 80th birthday party here.”

The Pop in Parlour really is a life line for so many people and they are made to feel welcome as soon as they walk through the door-attracting over 50s from not only Thamesmead but Plumstead, Belvedere, Erith and Welling too. It really is a home from home, with so many kind and generous people volunteering, making sure they can offer somewhere warm, safe, friendly and fun for the over 50s to go and meet people, every Monday-Friday.

The Pop in Parlour not only offers hot meals every lunch time Monday-Friday, bingo 6:30-9:00pm on Mondays and Wednesdays, darts 2:00-3:00pm Wednesdays and bowling 10:00am Thursdays (They even boast their own bowling green!), they offer regular raffles, events and trips as well as a friendly face and friendship too.

So if you are aged 50+ and are looking for a club to join, you won’t find one much better than this.