Celebrating life at Barchester

At the end of October, we had an amazing time celebrating World Food Day with our wonderful staff and their families, who brought along delicious homemade dishes from all around the world! Everyone shared their food and explained the special ingredients and traditions behind their dishes. It was such a wonderful way to learn about each other’s cultures and stories through food.

We savoured incredible flavours from Cyprus, Azerbaijan, Romania, Albania, Greece, the Philippines, Nepal, China, Serbia, India, Mauritius, and many more – a true feast of global tastes!

It was a fun, heart-warming day spent together. A huge thank you to everyone who joined, cooked, and shared their culture with us!    

We’re so proud to announce that Hugh Myddelton Care House won the “Best Communal Gardens” category in the Enfield in Bloom 2025 competition! The celebration took place at the Chicken Shed Theatre, where we were delighted to receive our certificate from the Mayor of the London Borough of Enfield, Margaret Greer.

It was such a proud and joyful moment for everyone involved. A big thank you to all who helped make our gardens so beautiful this year, especially our volunteer Pat and resident's ambassador Rosa! We also had the chance to say goodbye to Enfield in Bloom’s chairman, Dennis Lushey. After 20 wonderful years, Dennis has chosen to retire from the competition. We wish him all the best and thank him for his incredible dedication and contribution to our community over the years.    

We were honoured to have Colin at Hugh Myddelton House for a special Reminiscing Session about Remembrance Day.

All the residents who joined had a very emotional and meaningful time as they reflected on precious memories and moments from the past, guided by the stories and images Colin shared on the big screen. It was a heartfelt afternoon filled with remembrance and gratitude.  

Evenings are getting even more exciting here at Chalfont!

We’ve recently introduced evening activities, and last night’s event was a huge hit! Our theme was Ancient Egypt, inspired by the Grand Egyptian Museum opening on November 4th.

The residents shared their wonderful memories of trips to Egypt. We chatted about what life was like in ancient times, discovered some fascinating facts, and even tested our knowledge with a fun quiz!

It was a fantastic evening filled with laughter, learning, and lovely company — and both residents and relatives absolutely loved it!      

Residents and staff were delighted to welcome the D-Day Dollies to Tandridge Heights for Remembrance Day.

The ladies sang and danced their way through a variety of wartime classics. Everyone joined in singing.
Ron, who served in the Navy during World War Two, said it really took him back to the actual V.E. Day celebrations and how happy everybody was.

The afternoon was finished off with a delicious homemade cream tea from our head chef, David.    

Our residents Beryl and Jess had a wonderful time creating our Christmas tree in our main lounge.

We sang Christmas songs, we danced, and we really enjoyed each other's company.

Beryl and Jess supported each other and worked well together to create our beautiful tree.

We finished the tree off by putting our traditional angel at the top. Beryl said she hadn’t seen anything so beautiful on top of a tree before. Our home is starting to look very Christmassy.   

Louise’s first bus trip as Activities Coordinator at Chestnut Gardens took us to the peaceful heights of Tipsey Hill. With tea in our flasks and biscuits shared between friends, we soaked in the countryside views and quiet joy of being together.

We paused outside a beautiful church, its entrance blooming with poppies a tender reminder of  the Remembrance Sunday recently. In that still moment, we honoured those who came before us, carrying their memory in silence and gratitude.

A huge congratulations to Jijila Ghosh, whose kindness, dedication, and unwavering commitment shine through every single day. She goes above and beyond for residents, families, and colleagues. Always with a smile and a caring heart. 

Thank you, Jijila, for being such an incredible part of our team. We’re so grateful for everything you do!
 

Music filled the home today courtesy of one of our residents favourites; singing guitarist D’Artagnan!

So much laughter, singing, dancing and joy. We can’t wait to have him back for December!