Celebrating life at Barchester

We are absolutely thrilled to announce that our incredible Activities Coordinator, Becky, has been named Hampton Grove’s Employee of the Month for June! 

This recognition is so incredibly well deserved. Becky is the heart and soul of our home, constantly going above and beyond to create spectacular events and activities for our residents. From making dreams come true to organising unforgettable trips out whether it’s a quick pint at the local pub or a sunny day out at the beach, she makes sure our residents live life to the absolute fullest! 

As you have all seen right here on our Facebook page, Becky loves throwing in those extra special, magical surprises for every occasion. She is deeply caring, devoted, and an amazing colleague to the entire team. Her patience, support, and dedication to creating truly meaningful moments for our residents shine through every single day.

General Manager Stefan and everyone who nominated you want to say a massive thank you for everything you do.
Huge congratulations, Becky! We are so lucky to have you on our team! 

What a fantastic day we had on our trip to Hunstanton! It brought back so many happy memories as everyone reminisced about family holidays by the seaside. Jill shared lovely stories about her grandad, who was a fishmonger, and how regular trips to Hunstanton were such a special part of her childhood.

We all enjoyed a delicious lunch together, with plenty of smiles as everyone checked out the menu and compared what each other had ordered. It’s always lovely to see everyone chatting, laughing, and sharing the experience.

After lunch, we took a stroll along the beach, enjoyed the fresh sea air, and of course treated ourselves to an ice cream. As Bonnie said, “You have to have an ice cream when you go to the seaside!”

To finish off our day, we couldn’t resist a visit to the 2p machines! There was lots of laughter, a little friendly competition, and we may even have given one of the machines a gentle shake to see if we could encourage a few extra pennies to fall out… all in good fun!

A wonderful day filled with laughter, memories, friendship, and plenty of seaside smiles. We can’t wait for our next adventure!

Residents and guests enjoyed an afternoon at the Opera in the homes beautiful garden space. Local Operatic Singer Charlotte Wicks, who has previously sung within Glyndebourne, performed a selection of songs alongside her incredible pianist and had everybody indulged in the wonderful music they created. 

Guests were invited to bring picnic baskets and mats for the performance on the manicured grounds behind the home. The homes Head Chef, Joe Grey, also created some delicious Canapes which were given out during the performance as well as Prosecco and other refreshments. 

Claremont we had a lovely visit from a resident who came to have a short term stay with us and had returned home.

Along with her daughter in law she called in to say hello and kindly brought us a gift of a Rose bush to say THANK YOU for the amazing time and the care she had whilst staying with us.

The rose was aptly named Litchfield Angel and Phyllis said " I chose it because you are all Angels" along with this was a lovely card and kind words. It was so nice to see Phyllis again and she said she would come along again to see us all again and has told all her friends what a wonderful caring home it is and that she had an amazing stay with us.

It is always really nice to see people again after they have been with us and we are lucky enough at the moment to have three other residents who also come and join us for either dinner or our activities or just to catch up with friends that they have made whilst they have been with us.

Residents of Claremont were treated to an afternoon of wonderful music, which included reggae hits and many other classics from some great artists.

Welcoming back the talented Reggae Ray Hue who also explained his heritage from his father who served in the RAF during WW2.

Residents joined in with the songs which brought a party atmosphere to the whole afternoon with songs such as 'Israelites' by Desmond Dekker, 'Three Little Birds' by Bob Marley, ‘Kingston Town’ by UB40, Amazing Grace, Everly Brothers, Elvis Presley and many more outstanding hits.

Residents were singing, waving their pom-poms and even had a chance to dance either in their seats or with assistance with members of the activity team.
After the entertainment residents tucked in to Jamaican inspired food and drink jerk chicken with peas and rice, a selection of mouth watering fruits, ginger cake, ginger beer, fresh fruit punch and pina colada, which was all freshly prepared by the homes 2nd chef Mel. Residents and vocalist Ray thought the food was fantastic with many going in for seconds!

Residents and team members found out more about the music genre reggae and how it all came about and that it originated in Jamaica in the late 1960's, with famous artists such as Bob Marley & the Wailers, Jimmy Cliff and Toots and the Maytals.

Music always lifts everyone's mood and helps support memory and emotional well-being.

Claremont was delighted to welcome back the incredibly talented singer Steve Jay for a very special performance.

Together, Steve and our residents came together to pay a heartfelt tribute to the brave individuals serving in our Armed Forces.

Steve performed a wonderful selection of classic oldies that immediately resonated with the audience. The lounge was filled with energy as everyone sang along, clapped to the rhythm, and shared memories of the era. It was a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon that beautifully combined high-quality musical entertainment with a meaningful moment of gratitude for our service members.

A big congratulations to Mel our 2nd Chef for being awarded employee of the month for May, Since Mel has been with us here at Claremont she has shown, commitment, dedication and flare for making an exceptional dining experience for our residents.

Nothing is to much trouble when you request extra treats for our activities or a change to the daily menu and her whole home approach is greatly appreciated by all.

A well deserved award and a big THANK YOU from everyone at Claremont.

Residents enjoyed a spectacular virtual trip on board the latest luxury liner, Cruise Ship Parkway, for its highly anticipated maiden voyage.

Passengers were warmly welcomed on deck by "Captain" Daniel (Home Service Advisor) and his dedicated crew, Chloe (General Manager), Nico (Deputy Manager), and team member Jo.

During the voyage, residents were treated to live entertainment as Daniel played a wonderful selection of well-known tunes on the piano, prompting plenty of singing and smiles. Upon safely docking at their destination, the travellers celebrated the successful journey with delicious strawberry cupcakes and a glass or two of refreshing Bucks Fizz.

It was a creative, joyful afternoon that brought the holiday spirit right into the home.