A Crosby Pub Chat That’s Gone Global – Google Showcases Island’s Dementia App

What started as a casual chat over a pint at The Crosby has turned into a global success story—so much so that Google Play has just made a short film about it.

Memory Lane Games, an app designed to help people with dementia through nostalgic quiz games, has been picked up as part of Google’s ‘We Are Play’ campaign, highlighting apps making a real impact worldwide.

The idea came from Canadian expat Bruce Elliott and his mate Peter Quayle, who realised their mums loved looking at old family photos. That led to a simple concept—games tailored to trigger happy memories. They started small, making a Sheffield game for Peter’s mum and a Vancouver one for Bruce’s. Now, the app is used in over 100 countries, with thousands of games created for towns and cities across the world.

Google liked it so much they sent a film crew to the Isle of Man, capturing the story at The Crosby Pub, Hospice Isle of Man, The Engine House in Castletown, and even Bruce’s front room. The result? A three-minute video showing how a local idea is changing lives globally.

‘It’s amazing to think that a chat in The Crosby has led to something helping people all over the world,’ Bruce said.

The app is also embracing AI, using Google’s Gemini tech to personalise games even further. With dementia cases expected to triple by 2050, solutions like this are more important than ever.

Want to see the film or try the app? Head to www.memorylanegames.com.