Former dressmaker Gerald, 84, explains how he mistook Vivienne Westwood for the cleaner

Gerald Hillary, aged 84, had a career making ladies’ clothing that spanned six decades and worked for fashion designer Dame Vivienne Westwood.

Now a resident at The Spinney, a dementia specialist care home located on Forest View in Chingford, it was during conversations with Gerald that the care team discovered his fascinating career.

“I started dressmaking as a schoolboy,” explained Gerald, who is originally from Welwyn Garden City in Hertfordshire.

“It was only supposed to be a temporary job, but I ended up staying as I loved the atmosphere and the environment.

“I produced ladies clothing for 60 years, my speciality was creating crazy, unconventional clothes, that were a little bit risqué!

“When I first met Vivienne Westwood, we were working from a rented building that was part of a former school. She was on the floor picking up pins and I stepped over her thinking she was a cleaner!

“I enjoyed my time working with her, she was wonderfully eccentric and always very friendly.”

The Spinney is a 43-bed care home that provides residential, specialist dementia, and end of life care.

Samantha Carey, lifestyle coordinator at The Spinney, said: “It’s fascinating to hear Gerald talk about his career as a dressmaker. He is living with dementia and struggles with memory loss but lights up when he shares stories of his working life.

“Gerald finds our garden very restful and enjoys spending time outside. He also enjoys the outings in our minibus and loves to visit new places. He is very sociable with his fellow residents and has made many good friends since moving to The Spinney. Gerald especially loves it when we have entertainment or a movie night.”

Lisa Wright, home manager at The Spinney, added: “Getting to know our residents is a crucial part of our job, we get to learn about their life experiences and discover what’s important to them. For our residents who are living with dementia, it allows us to support them to retain their sense of who they are and what they love.

“Gerald has had an extraordinary career, and we feel privileged that he’s shared his stories with us. A career in fashion that spans 60 years is testament to his commitment and dedication to the profession.”

The Spinney is rated ‘Good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and won a Great British Care Award in 2023 for ‘Dignity in Care’.