Celebrating life at Barchester

Prost! Our residents had a fantastic time celebrating Oktoberfest with a wonderful day filled with German food, drinks, music and plenty of fun! We put our German knowledge to the test with a Germany Facts Quiz, before heading off on some armchair travels through Germany, exploring the beautiful sights, culture and traditions of this wonderful country. 

Of course, no Oktoberfest would be complete without a little beer tasting! Our residents enjoyed sampling the different flavours and sharing their thoughts — with some very important taste-testing taking place! We also enjoyed a delicious German dining experience, including hearty Kartoffelsuppe (potato soup) and Eintopf, making it a truly tasty way to celebrate. 

There was lots of laughter, conversation and, of course, a few cheerful posts along the way! A wonderful day of German traditions, good food, great company and lots of Oktoberfest fun!   

Last week Sherwood Lodge had a magnificent performance by the wonderful GO on Tour.

They brought theatrical excellence to the home with stand-up comedy, costume changes, incredible interactions with staff and residents, and amazing voices! One of their singers, Edna, is 93 and doing an astounding job at reaching those high notes.

The performance brought joy and reminiscence to our residents, as well as laughter and awe with their humour and dramatic costume reveals.

We can’t wait to welcome them back into our home for another incredible performance.   

Today our residents had a lively yet heartfelt afternoon, celebrating the life of Beryl, one of our beloved residents. In her honour, Beryl’s daughter Shirley arranged for Beryl’s favourite entertainer, Al, to come into the home to play a show in her memory. We also enjoyed her favourite food, chips with ketchup.

The afternoon was everything Beryl would’ve wanted, with the bright positive energy that she always brought to the home, laughter and music, which were always a huge part of Beryl’s life.   

Thank you to Shirley for working with us in arranging this wonderful afternoon. We hope that it was everything her mum would’ve wanted, and that it paid a fitting tribute to our wonderful and bright Beryl.      

We had a brand new creative experience when Rachael Richardson came from Good Life Making CIC with her Clay Club. We gathered a group of people from all communities, who wanted to be part of the club. Making an owl and working with clay was a tactile experience which we really enjoyed. 

Rachael has taken the owls home, so she can fire them in her kiln. She will return them to us, and we will be able to keep them with us indoors or hide them in the gardens and outdoor spaces for people to discover, when they explore the outdoors. It is great to have a new opportunity to be creative and find our inner artist.    

During October, we were delighted to welcome back some four-legged friends to Kirkburn – Tessa and Ruby, the miniature Shetland ponies. 

Everyone was so happy to meet the beautiful ponies and to give them a clappie. We learnt some interesting facts about them too. They were so placid, and it was a lovely experience for our residents – we shared some really heart-warming moments.    

Some of our lovely ladies had a wee trip round to visit our friends at Buchanhaven School Nursery recently. We had a lovely afternoon. It was just amazing watching young and old together – some heart-warming interactions. 

Instant friendships were made as we spent time together – playing with cars, play dough and also doing some crafts. The children enjoyed simply having someone new to talk to and to show us their toys and tell us their stories. We were also treated to a lovely fly cup. 

We are greatly looking forward to welcoming the children to Kirkburn in December for a wee Christmas sing-a-long!  

During October, we celebrated International Day of Older Persons. 

What better way to do that than to have our very own Kirkburn disco! Who doesn’t love an afternoon disco – just close the curtains, switch on your disco lights and off you go! We all had great fun singing and dancing away, and we all enjoyed a wee dram too!       

Residents at Lynde House Care Home in Twickenham enjoyed an afternoon of mystery, storytelling and lively discussion during a drama reading session inspired by Agatha Christie’s classic whodunnit, A Murder Is Announced. The home’s lounge became a gathering place for budding detectives as residents followed the twists and turns of the intriguing story. With each new chapter, curiosity grew, and residents eagerly considered the clues, discussed their theories and tried to work out who might be responsible for the murder.

The session encouraged residents to use their imagination, share their thoughts and engage in meaningful conversations, creating an enjoyable experience filled with laughter, suspense and companionship. One resident reflected on the mystery, saying: “It certainly keeps you guessing! Just when you think you know who did it, something else happens. I’m looking forward to finding out what happens next!”

Another resident added: “I do enjoy a good mystery. It’s lovely to sit together, share our ideas and see if we can solve it. We should have our own detective club!” The activity was about much more than solving a fictional crime. It provided an opportunity for residents to connect with one another, express their opinions and enjoy the pleasure of sharing a story together.

At Lynde House, activities like these reflect the home’s commitment to creating meaningful experiences that celebrate residents’ interests, encourage participation and bring people together through shared enjoyment. The team looks forward to continuing the story at the next reading session, when the mystery may finally begin to unravel. Until then, the question remains: who do you think did it?

Thinking about care for yourself or a loved one? Lynde House Care Home welcomes families to visit, meet the team and discover more about life at the home.

Our wonderful friends, families and staff have been bringing in food donations for our Harvest Festival collection in support of St Mary’s Church in Bulwell. 

We were delighted to welcome Fr Andrew Fisher, Vicar, and Jackie to Hall Park to collect all the goodies! They were absolutely amazed by the amount of food everyone had generously donated and were truly grateful for the kindness and support shown by our Hall Park family. 

It’s moments like these that remind us just how much good can happen when people come together to help others. Every tin, packet and donation makes a difference, and we couldn’t be prouder of everyone who took part. On behalf of Fr Andrew, Jackie and everyone at Hall Park, a HUGE thank you to all our friends, families and staff who kindly donated! 

Your generosity is very much appreciated, and we hope you know what a difference you’re helping to make within our local community.

From all of us at Hall Park, thank you for helping us spread a little kindness this Harvest Festival!