IT WAS the ultimate of birthday presents for a 110-year-old Cubbington resident when he got to meet the prime minister.
On John Farringdon’s 110th birthday his local MP, Jeremy Wright, visited him at Cubbington Mill care home in Cubbington. John told Mr Wright that he would love to have the opportunity to visit parliament but felt it would be impossible now.
Behind the scenes Mr Wright set to work making arrangements for John to go to parliament and watch Prime Minister’s Questions. Unbeknownst to John, he not only arranged for John to meet the speaker prior to PM’s Questions but he also arranged for John to go to No.10 to meet prime minister Rishi Sunak.
Cubbington Mill’s general manager Laura Russell and Laura Renalson, the home’s admin assistant, accompanied John on his outing to London.
They arrived at parliament via a private entrance surrounded by six armed police guards and were taken to meet speaker Lindsay Hoyle.
Then it was time for PM’s Questions where Mr Wright and the prime minister both gave John and Cubbington Mill a shout out.
John had lunch in the House of Commons before heading off to Downing Street.
At No.10 John was given a tour and then shown into the cabinet office where he met the prime minsiter and had some photos taken.
John said: “I am absolutely speechless, I cannot believe that I not only got to go to parliament, which has always been an ambition, but that I got to go to Prime Minister’s Questions and that I got a mention. I am amazed. Then getting to go to No. 10 and meeting the PM is beyond my wildest dreams. It has honestly been one of the best days of my life. I am so so grateful to everyone who made it happen. I feel so blessed.”
