EXPERIENCES covering conflict around the world were the order of the day for residents at a Poole care home.

Staff and residents from Alexandra House, a Care South care home, attended the recent An Audience With Kate Adie event hosted by the Lewis-Manning charity.

The residents were treated to a glass of Pimm’s on arrival and the event, which took place at the idyllic Parkstone Yacht Club, saw the former BBC journalist entertain the audience with her extraordinary life story.

A captivating storyteller, Kate had the audience entranced with tales of her youth, and her humble beginnings as a station assistant at BBC Radio Durham before rising to be one of the most established female war correspondents in the world.

Having covered many war-torn regions, Kate recounted some of her most watched broadcasts to the audience, including the 1980 coverage of the siege of the Iranian embassy and the infamous reporting of the 1989 Tiananmen Square protest.

For Alexandra House resident Hazel, the event was a “dream come true”, as she had the rare opportunity to meet her idol.

“I have loved every minute of tonight. Kate is someone I have always idolised and someone I saw an alliance with as we both worked in male-dominated environments,” she said. “She was fantastic. I will remember this forever.”

As the talk drew to a close, the audience had a chance to ask some questions and each individual received a signed copy of her book, The Kindness of Strangers.

Fellow Alexandra House resident, Peter, said: “I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to meet the legendary Kate Adie, and am even more excited to be going home with a signed copy of her novel. It is one of my most prized possessions.”

Nicola Bleach, activities lead at Alexandra House, said: “We are honoured to have attended An Audience With Kate Adie, this unique event was an extraordinary and eye-opening opportunity to hear firsthand the experiences of one of the UK’s most well-known journalists.

“We feel incredibly lucky that the event took place at Parkstone Yacht Club, a mere stone’s throw from our home. We would like to thank Kate for her time and Lewis Manning for arranging the fantastic event.”