Celebrating life at Barchester

VE Day - 80th Anniversary was celebrated with a minibus trip to the Cotswold Airport to join their VE day celebration. The residents enjoyed their tea/coffee sitting at the AV8 restaurant whilst enjoying the stunning site of planes buzzing around them.

The airport has a lot of history such as storing Naval aircraft and then delivered them to the FAA during WW2 from Kemble, the unit also converted Hurricanes to Sea Hurricanes and then much later serviced all the Navy Hunters and Jetstream.

Today has been an extraordinary day as we united with the nation to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VE Day. 

This morning, we were delighted to welcome Nicky, a talented female vocalist, who debuted at the home with a stirring performance of wartime classics, while our residents enjoyed Pimm's and Sherry. celebrations continued in the afternoon with a vibrant, street-themed tea party. 

We were honoured by the presence of Councillor Paul Ainsley, Mayor of Oakham, alongside our cherished friend Sue from Great Casterton Church, and an unexpected visit from the wonderful Rob Persani of Rutland & Stamford Sound. It was a perfect conclusion to a truly remarkable day.

We marked the 80th anniversary of VE Day with a heartfelt celebration of remembrance, music, and community spirit - residents, families, and staff gathered to honour the end of World War II in Europe by sharing personal memories and celebrating peace.

The afternoon began with a photo-sharing session, where residents reminisced and recounted their experiences. Christine recalled joining the celebrations in London's Trafalgar Square 80 years ago. Bill, who was 13 when the war ended, remembered the excitement in the air and seeing girls wearing "Kiss me quick" hats. Robert, aged 100, shared poignant memories of losing friends in the war and his role helping to extinguish fires from the top of St John's Church in Glastonbury.

Musician Malcolm then led a spirited sing-along on the piano, filling the home with melodies of the 1940s, and the event ended with a 1940s-themed street party buffet, accompanied by a glass of bubbly or a cup of tea.

General Manager Meg Cleal commented, "Today was a testament to the enduring spirit of our residents and the importance of remembering our shared history."

Iris Court Celebrated V-E Day 80th Anniversary

We had a truly special day hearing from some of our residents and their stories, photo's and memories from 80 years ago today. Throughout the day we watched the live coverage from BBC, whilst honouring the two minute silence along with the nation. For our lunch the home came together, whilst inviting some new faces and families to join us for a tradition street party style lunch, with a variety of sandwiches, pastries, wonderful Victoria sponge cakes and Scones with plenty of cream!. An afternoon not to be forgotten!. 

"On this Victory in Europe Day, we honour the bravery, sacrifice and resilience of all who fought for the peace and freedom. May their legacy remind us to never take liberty for granted and to always strive for unity in a divided world. Let peace not be just a memory but a promise we uphold every day". 

Here at West Abbey our residents love getting outside and exercise is so important to our residents and colleagues. Our Life Enrichment team have a weekly walking group where we stretch our legs and admire the local greenery. We’re so lucky to have great areas around our home to explore, so that’s exactly what we did. The sun was shining, birds were singing and so were we!

Our residents enjoyed a culturally enriching trip to Tate Britain art gallery. Everyone enjoyed admiring the amazing pieces of art and shared a coffee together in the gallery cafe.

Zena from Performing Pets brought Oreo, a beautiful baby goat, to visit our residents. Everyone enjoyed holding and stroking the kid and hoped he would be back very soon!

Here at West Oak we had a wonderful Mini Bus Trip out to Dinton Pastures Country Park in Winnersh. 

Once we arrived and parked the bus, we started with a steady walk to the lake to see the ducks, geese and swans. We took a little break by the lake, relaxing, watching and listening to what was going on around us. It was so tranquil and peaceful. We then enjoyed a little stroll back to the café where we enjoyed a light lunch and drinks.

Resident John said he felt so good and what a lovely way to spend the day, and couldn’t thank us enough.

We were so happy to welcome representatives from Chabad who came to help our Jewish residents celebrate Passover. Together, we prepared a beautiful Seder plate and our residents joyfully participated in reading the story of the Exodus in Hebrew. It was a meaningful  occasion for everyone.

Our residents had the best morning! With such beautiful weather that we are experiencing in Exeter at the moment, we travelled to one of the most beautiful places in Exeter, "The Orange Elephant Ice cream Parlour."

We have soaked up the sun, enjoyed the views of the meadows, shared lots of memories of our time growing up in Exeter, remarked about the famous Orange Elephant that so many of us have driven past over the years and, of course, enjoyed some delicious ice cream.

The flavours we tried today were "muddy wellies", "biscoff", "vanilla", "salted caramel with clotted cream" and also "liquorice". Jacqui, who had the liquorice ice cream, said she wanted to try something different and that she thought it was lovely and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Mrs T even took time to sit and meet our residents, sharing stories of the parlour and how wonderful it has been, seeing all the families visiting, enjoying the ice cream and playing in the meadow. Thank you once again to Mrs T and the Team at the Orange Elephant for your warm welcome and amazing hospitality today. We can't wait to see you all again.  

We plan to return each week, with a different group to try even more delicious flavours. 

Everyone at Lucerne House would like to extend a massive thank you to The Exeter Temple Salvation Army Band for joining us this afternoon.

Our residents, visitors and team members have spent a wonderful time with the group, being serenaded by the brass instruments and tapping their feet to familiar melodies, in the comfort of our beautiful Memory Lane Garden.

We would like to say a special thank you to Douglas for making it all possible. You are a star.

We look forward to welcoming the band back before the end of the summer, to fill our garden and home with their wonderful sounds. 

Singing and music are always popular in the home, and recently residents, family and staff joined to welcome the Kiltarlity Community Choir, as they performed at Highview House. With a set including medleys by the Beatles and ABBA, as well as sounds of the 60s, 70s and 80s, there was something for everyone.    The songs stimulated lengthy chats about people, experiences and the memories related to music, making it both a collectively and individually rewarding experience.

Given the well-researched connection between music and memory, live music plays an important role in the activities programme here at Highview.  With a variety of different acts already scheduled to perform, we all look forward to some good old singalongs very soon.

Residents at Highview are keen to remain part of the wider Inverness community. That is why we hold regular community engagement events which see representatives of various institutions and organisations visit the home. Our guests join residents in our comfortable and relaxing lounges, to provide talks, videos and hands-on presentations.

Most recently, residents were delighted to welcome the Scottish Charity Air Ambulance to give residents a tactile and interactive talk on the lifesaving work that they do. Residents were delighted to hear about the helicopters, the fearless pilots and the state-of-the-art technology, and are looking forward to more guest speakers in the very near future.

We are have a party! What a lovely day celebrating VE Day. With a lovely melody of classic war songs from our entertainer and then a buffet lunch in the garden.

What a special day.........

We had a lovely outing this morning. Since the weather was a bit chilly for a trip to the River Cam, we went with Plan B – and it turned out beautifully.

We visited Scotsdales Garden Centre, wandered around, had a nice laugh, and picked up some colourful new flowers for the garden. The ladies enjoyed a bit of shopping, and Richard found some tomato plants to grow.

We rounded off the morning with some refreshments, then returned home with arms full of vibrant blooms. A delightful day indeed!

This afternoon, we took a spontaneous turn from our planned visit to Anglesey Abbey and instead enjoyed a lovely outing to The Black Horse Inn Swaffham Bulbeck.

Over a relaxing coffee and a well-earned pint, our three residents shared plenty of laughter and good company.

Lily hosted a brilliant pub quiz for our three residents, which added an extra spark of fun to the afternoon. It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience for everyone, and we returned home with big smiles and happy hearts.

Residents of Bushey House enjoyed a trip to the Bushey Rose Gardens recently on a beautiful warm day. The gardens are a short walk from our home and a place we visit often when the weather is good .

We had a good walk around the gardens and then enjoyed some time in the sun before returning home for drinks in our gardens at Bushey House.

Residents of Bushey House were lucky enough to see some very special visitors: two week old lambs Tom and Jerry. The lambs were brought to visit us by Performing Pets who visit us regularly with different animals. 

Cookridge Court Care home, in Leeds invited members of the local community to their monthly dementia café with a rock ‘n’ roll twist.

The dementia café that runs, the 1^st Wednesday of every month, from 2.00-4.00pm, guests have a chance to meet other carers supporting others living with dementia. Free to all, the dementia café at the home provides small respite and social support

Community visits to residents can take many forms, aiming to combat isolation and promote well-being. Tyspane Care Home understands the importance of residents joining groups, attending day centres, or volunteering in various settings. It is these regular contacts and social interactions that combat loneliness and feelings of isolation. They can boost mental well-being, reduce stress, and increase happiness.  Feeling connected to the community and having a role to play can provide a sense of purpose and satisfaction.

So, today it was wonderful to see our residents being welcomed by Braunton Caen Rotary, Memory Café at the Vivian Moon Centre for a presentation about the Braunton Community Garden, followed by tea, chat, biscuits and raffle. The atmosphere was friendly, welcoming and one which fostered a positive culture for everyone.

Doug (a resident's husband) said, “It is wonderful to spend time with my wife in the community. We always attended Braunton Caen Rotary, Vivian Moon Centre.”

Claire (Resident) said, “I was a lovely experience for me, I really enjoyed myself.”

Residents at Atfield House and our smaller visitors from our neighbourhood enjoyed the Easter egg hunt in our beautiful garden again this year. The excitement was great, as the children looked for these hidden treasures in the flowers and bushes. 

The Easter bunny greeted every visitor and was ready to help with a few hints to make sure no egg was left behind. Everybody left smiling and enjoyed their Easter Sunday afternoon with so much fun to share.

Residents at Atfield House were awaiting the animal visit for Good Friday with excitement and anticipation. We all hoped that the weather would be good, so we could meet the animals in our garden. To everyone's delight, the weather was pleasant and residents and their visitors enjoyed meeting the animals. Even our great-grandchildren enjoyed stroking and holding the small animals on their laps. There were guinea pigs, rabbits, ducks and even a barn owl to hold and stroke. 

A sheep and its lamb, goats and a donkey also came along and nibbled on the grass in our garden. The two dogs strolled excitedly between visitors, wagging their tales. It was a lovely afternoon for everyone encountering these gentle creatures. Even the barn owl enjoyed meeting residents in their rooms and won many hearts with her beautiful feathered outfit. What delightful encounters for everyone to remember!

This was such a wonderful experience for our residents. We went to Chester to use some adapted bikes for all disabilities, and it was absolutely fantastic. 

Seeing the residents’s faces light up as we rode around the park and listening to their stories of when they used to cycle everywhere was so magical. This is something that would benefit your mind, body and soul. 

Ken Pye came and delivered a fascinating talk about the Wirral. He told us stories that were not really heard of, but he showed us newspaper articles to show they really happened. 

It was such a wonderful afternoon as talks are one of our favourite things here at Caldy as we love learning something new.

We had a wonderful day baking and decorating our Easter cake for the Barchester Easter cake competition. We started off in the morning baking the cake. 

It was wonderful to hear everyone’s baking experience. Some had loads, whilst some didn’t have any at all but learnt a few things whilst baking our cake. We then decorated it in the afternoon with chocolate nests and eggs and bunnies. 

Residents at Pittsmead Grange Care Home recently enjoyed a delightful day out visiting the charming Christmas Tree Farm. The trip, made possible by the home's reliable minibus service, gave everyone the chance to spend some quality time outdoors, surrounded by friendly animals and fresh countryside air.

Upon arrival at the farm, residents were welcomed by a host of furry and feathered friends. With big smiles all around, they had the chance to feed goats, sheep, and even a few chickens. Many of the residents commented on how much they enjoyed the experience, with one saying, “It brought back so many lovely memories from my childhood.”

After plenty of animal encounters, the group took a well-earned break at the farm’s café, where they enjoyed a warm coffee and a slice of cake. It was the perfect moment to relax, chat, and soak up the peaceful atmosphere of the day.

Activities Coordinator Jody Symonds said, “Trips like this are so valuable. They bring joy, spark conversations, and really lift spirits. We’re already planning our next adventure!” The outing was part of Pittsmead Grange's ongoing commitment to providing engaging and meaningful activities for its residents. Days like these highlight the importance of staying active, connected, and involved with the wider community.

At Atfield House, we were entertained by the lovely singer Patricia and her accompanist Matt, both accomplished musicians. Our residents enjoyed the lively repertoire and the joy of music on this special day. We honoured the beginning of April, and we wanted to make our wonderful musician in residence a musical birthday surprise. 

Everybody said how much they enjoyed the performance that day and the birthday songs were an added delight to all. We were so happy that this occasion could bring special joy to the birthday of our resident. We are grateful to Patricia and Matt for coming to Atfield House and sharing their love, kindness and musical skill with us, bringing joy and laughter to all.

We were thrilled to welcome the talented performers from #kinecroftacademyofdance to our home as part of our International Dance Day celebration.

Their beautiful routines and aesthetic perfection brought such delight to our residents, who were truly captivated by the elegance and passion on display. Their performance brought back fond memories for Sheila, who used to be a ballet dancer. 

The performance was a mix of ballet, modern, jazz dance and every moment was filled with magic, movement, and memories that we'll cherish for a long time.

A big thank you to Kinecroft Academy for sharing your talent and spirit with us - it was an uplifting and inspiring afternoon that lit up the hearts of everyone at Waterside Court!

When Jill told her story about her sitting on a Harley Davidson when she was younger, there was only one thing on the activities team mind… after contacting Rolling Rides, they made her memory a reality again. 

Jill was surrounded by friends and her husband as she got back from her ride on the Harley. What a thrilling day!

Today we welcomed back the incredible girls from Farrell School of Irish Dance to entertain our residents. A packed-out dining room watched these amazing dancers do their thing, and they did not disappoint.
The school has been visiting Hunters for the last few years, and it is one of the most popular events of the year. 

Our residents love watching the students perform as well as admiring their amazing costumes.
A huge thank you to Clare, who runs the school, and all the girls who danced for us today. You were all brilliant!