A CARE home in Stroud has joined a nationwide campaign to save older hobbies from being forgotten.

A poll of 2,000 adults carried out by Care UK, which operates Scarlet House, on Westward Road, found reading a map, using a compass and even simple handwriting are high within the top 50 list of lost talents – and a majority of those surveyed (77%) blame modern technology.

In a bid to prevent hobbies and skills from being lost over time and give them a new lease of life, Scarlet House is encouraging locals to join a nationwide campaign to tap into thousands of older people’s expertise and knowledge – ‘Long Lost Hobbies’.

As part of the initiative, the residents are revisiting favourite hobbies from their younger years and sharing their skills with younger generations – with those living at Scarlet House having the opportunity to join a gardening club and share their knowledge with team members.

Sharon Morgan, home manager at Scarlet House, said: “Over time, many of us have become reliant on technology – meaning many hobbies that were once popular are now sadly being forgotten.

“This is why we’re excited to take part in the long lost hobbies initiative. Here at Scarlet House, we know residents have a wealth of skills and hobbies that are now considered to be on the decline – and that is something we wanted to celebrate.

“We’d like to encourage everyone in the Stroud community to join us in our efforts to save old skills and hobbies by reaching out to their relatives or neighbours. We have so much to learn from older generations – and I’m sure they’d be more than happy to share all of their knowledge.”

Top 50 lost skills and hobbies, according to Care UK's survey

1. Writing letters

2. Map reading

3. Knowing proper grammar

4. Mental maths

5. Remembering phone numbers

6. Using a compass

7. Handwriting

8. Handwashing clothes

9. Making a fire from scratch

10. Stamp collecting

11. Sewing/making clothes yourself

12. Spelling

13. Wiring a plug yourself

14. Calligraphy

15. Preserving food – such as pickling

16. Sewing on a button yourself

17. Making your own jam

18. Making your own cheese

19. Tying knots

20. Knitting

21. Identifying different plants, trees or insects

22. Changing a tyre yourself

23. Making your own bread by hand

24. Remembering addresses

25. Using an index in a book

26. Giving directions

27. Remembering dates

28. Reading music

29. Carpentry

30. Baking a cake by hand

31. Pottery making

32. Storytelling

33. Cooking something from memory

34. Reading

35. Putting up a shelf yourself

36. Critical thinking

37. Time keeping

38. Caring for chickens

39. Speaking/learning another language

40. Budgeting

41. Creative writing

42. Finding facts

43. Following instructions

44. Caring for plants

45. Gardening

46. Following a recipe

47. Drawing

48. Fishing

49. Taking photos

50. Editing photos yourself