By ANNE-MARIE EMERSON
THE STRAINS of Swanee River being played on the harmonica and accordion waft out of Dewi Browne's kitchen window.
Mr Browne and his friend Ross Duncan have been playing for the best part of an hour Irish Eyes, Wild Rover, and other old-time tunes.
Mr Browne and Mr
Duncan's friendship is one of the many success stories of the Age Concern Accredited Visiting Service in Wanganui.
The service pairs up volunteer visitors with elderly people who are sick, lonely or house-bound and need company.
Mr Browne, who is 87, shares a house with his daughter and grand-daughter, but he is alone for long periods of the day.
He sometimes has trouble lifting his accordion and finding enough breath to play the harmonica, but his enthusiasm is unmistakeable.
He said his friendship with Mr Duncan was "just natural".
"We both have music in our bodies."
Mr Duncan said the pair had the same taste in music, and were self-taught from a young age.
"We actually spend a lot more time playing music than talking."
Mr Duncan, a retired farmer, has been an Age Concern visitor for many years. He said he does it because he gets "much pleasure out of talking to people".
"Everyone has an interesting story to tell."
Visitor co-ordinator Marie Alexander said she knew Mr Browne and Mr Duncan would hit it off when she discovered their mutual love of music.
She said the client-visitor relationship was a two-way deal.
"Both of them must enjoy it or it doesn't work."
Wanganui Age Concern has 45 visitor volunteers, most of whom spend about an hour a week with the client.
Mrs Alexander said a visitor can "really make a difference" in the life of a house-bound elderly person.
"We've seen many of them become good friends. It's wonderful."
* Age Concern is looking for more visitor volunteers. If you can spare one hour a week, please contact Marie Alexander on 345 1799.
