On a day of remembrance, we bring a personal story from our home to yours

A lifetime of service, a story of friendship and a gentleman whose memories deserve to be shared.

This Remembrance Sunday, as communities across the country came together to remember those who served and sacrificed, we wanted to share a particularly special story from within our own home at Bayleaf Care Home in Huntingdon.

Meet John Evans, known to many as Basha.

John joined the Bayleaf in June this year, having spent a period of his life living locally in Papworth. Behind his familiar smile is a remarkable story of dedication, service and a lifetime of experiences, having served more than 40 years in the military, including time in the Special Forces and leadership within the Parachute Regiment.

For those of us getting to know John, discovering more about his past has been a privilege.

In the days leading up to Remembrance Sunday, John had been a little quieter than usual. But following the memorial service in Huntingdon, we saw a different side of him. Proudly dressed, with his medals taking pride of place, it was clear just how much the occasion meant to him.

It wasn’t simply about wearing his medals. It was about the memories, the people and the experiences they represented.

Throughout this week, John has been sharing more of his story with those around him, giving us a glimpse into a life that has taken him far beyond the streets of Papworth.

Away from his military service continues had a love of model aircrafts including how skilful he was when it came to woodwork; John also shares how much spending time with his friends mean to him even now; Perhaps just as special is that John remains in contact with some of the men he served alongside and at the end of the month we will welcoming around 10 of them to our upcoming veteran lunch.