Celebrating life at Barchester

We were delighted to host the launch of a new book by one of our short stay respite residents. A writing journey which took over a several decades of discovery and devotion, culminated in the publication of a powerful new book. For the Love of Sarah tells the true story of Sarah Ellis, a late 18th-century woman whose life was uncovered through handwritten journals found by Roy Palmer in 1989 while working in property probate in London.

With the support of his wife Evelyn, Roy spent decades researching, transcribing and tracing Sarah’s journeys around Britain, turning her story into a book with the help of a ghost writer and encouragement from academic circles, including interest from Oxford University. Rob Hobbs said: "It has been an absolute pleasure to have Roy with us at Mortain Place, Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne on a respite stay with us recently.”

"His life story is fascinating and hearing how For the Love of Sarah came to be is truly inspiring for both residents and staff. Roy made quite a following here and everyone wanted to hear more about Sarah and his incredible journey bringing her story back to life. We are so proud to see his book published and to have been part of this special chapter of his life."

Roy recently spent time on respite at Mortain Place Care Home, where he became a well-liked member of the community and shared his story with fellow residents and staff. He described Sarah Ellis as having become "almost like family," and said his motivation was to "do justice" to her life by bringing her voice back to life.

For the Love of Sarah is a testament to perseverance, partnership and the enduring power of love across centuries.

We enjoyed a lovely, cosy, comedy evening in our lounge, with residents relaxing together to watch classic `The Two Ronnies` with a glass of bubbles and some tasty nibbles. 

The Comedy Club is a new activity for us, but it’s something we’ll do again. Sharing familiar TV shows with family and friends sparks memories, conversations and brings comfort. And laughing together can lift mood, reduce anxiety and strengthen social connections, all of which support wellbeing for older adults.

Last year (March 2025), the BBC highlighted the positive effect of old comedy and TV shows in its `Memories and Dementia: Starting the Conversation` season, which explored how the BBC’s rich archive of programmes, including classic comedy, can help stimulate memories and reconnect people with meaningful moments from their past. (Read more about it here: https://canvas-story.bbcrewind.co.uk/memoriesanddementia/)

We’re looking forward to working our way through all the old comedy favourites in coming months!

We have had a non-stop week of joy and connection here at the home! Here’s a little look at what we’ve been up to
Crufts Ready! To kick off the start of Crufts, we welcomed our favourite four-legged friend, Bertie along with Colin. They made their rounds to the communal lounges and popped into individual rooms to make sure everyone got a well-deserved cuddle. Therapy dogs truly bring so much sunshine to our residents! 
 Wildlife Wonders: For National Wildlife Day, we were joined by the lovely children from Kingsthorpe Nursery. It was heart warming to see the different generations sitting together, sharing stories while colouring in wildlife pictures. The creativity was flowing!
We then welcomed back our wildlife Expert in the afternoon with a fascinating presentation from Simon, a brilliant British wildlife photographer and videographer. We love his monthly visits his shots of nature are always breath-taking!
James from Home Fit Vitality kept us moving with his energetic individual and group exercise sessions. With Balloon Tennis brought lots of fun! 

A huge thank you to all our guests for making this week so special.