Celebrating life at Barchester

Yesterday we took three of our lovely gentlemen residents out for a fantastic afternoon of Tenpin Bowling. The lanes were filled with laughter, friendly competition, and even a few impressive strikes.

It was a wonderful opportunity to stay active, have fun, and create some great memories together. We’re so proud of our residents for getting stuck in and showing off their bowling skills.

Andy, John and Clive all agreed that is was a brilliant day out!!

Bushey House Beaumont was delighted to welcome Annie Brewster, Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, to the home yesterday as part of our International Women’s Day celebrations.

Annie was greeted by the senior team before joining residents, relatives and visitors in our magnificent dining room, where she gave a fascinating talk about her distinguished career in public service. Guests were captivated as she spoke about her journey through a number of prestigious roles, including Mayor of St Albans, Chairman of Hertfordshire County Council, High Sheriff of Hertfordshire and now Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire.

Residents particularly enjoyed hearing how Annie’s path into leadership first began when she was Head Girl at school. She spoke warmly and with great humility, sharing that she had always known she would hold leadership roles, but wanted to be “a great number two to a fantastic number one.”

A real highlight of the afternoon was seeing Annie in her formal uniform, as well as the High Sheriff uniform she kindly brought along to show everyone. Following her talk, Annie answered questions from the audience before spending time speaking with each attendee individually, making everyone feel special and included.

To round off the occasion, our talented Head Chef Roman prepared a delicious cake and scones especially for Annie, thoughtfully tailored to her dietary requirements 

It was a memorable and uplifting afternoon for all involved, and we extend our sincere thanks to Annie for spending time with us.

Ello, ello, ello what do we have ere then...

We were delighted to welcome back David, who is a retired police officer who runs the Mobile Police Museum, for an afternoon of a historical journey of over two centuries in policing. This session was about the police mounted department from over the years. 

Mr. David Hardcastle provided a captivating presentation, showcasing numerous artifacts and objects acquired throughout his extensive career. He talked us through the evolution of police horsing equipment, including truncheons and handcuffs, and demonstrated their operational use, along with some interesting stories within the mounted police force, were particularly engaging. The afternoon proved to be highly informative and enjoyable for residents, families, and staff – we had so much.    

We stepped back in time as residents explored the Boots UK Memory Box. We looked and reminisced at various items ranging from the 1930s right through to the 1980s that were included in the box. The Memory Boxes are multisensory kits designed to support people living in care homes and/or living with dementia by sparking conversation and recalling memories. 

A number of familiar, nostalgic items such as vintage toiletries, old photos, and sensory objects like powder compacts were all explored. We are so grateful to Boots UK for granting Cookridge Court  a lovely memorable box for our residents to use. It was a lovely morning enjoyed by all.