Celebrating life at Barchester

Residents were delighted to have Rainbows and Brownies from 1st York St Margarets come to visit.

The evening was spent having lots of intergenerational fun with lots of singing and playing games together, which involved a balloon exercise and a creative session making colourful bunting for our residents to display in the home.

Everyone enjoyed chatting with the girls, and it was marvellous to hear the laughter fill the room.

Our ladies from our Baking Club came up with the idea to make cheese scones, one of their favourite savoury delights.

Whilst some residents got busy showing off their skills, others enjoyed watching the bakers at work taking in a few tips. Afterwards, the ladies invited Pete, our Hospitality Manager, to join them afterwards to sample the scones fresh out of the oven baked to a golden, gooey perfection.

The aroma alone was irresistible!

We marked the annual Royal Ascot Ladies Day races in style as we dressed to impress, and put on our favourite hats.

Our residents enjoyed the event from the comfort of the home. Some of our residents gathered on the terrace sitting in the shade, and had great conversations about Royal Ascot fashion and celebrated the occasion with a glass or two of Pimms and refreshing fruits. Some of our residents enjoyed listening to the races in the garden or watching on TV. We had a great time debating who was going to win. 

We all had great fun.   

Residents enjoyed a delightful outing to a stunning garden in the New Forest, as part of a special visit hosted by the National Garden Scheme. The garden, belonging to Sheila, the daughter of resident June, captivated the group with its vibrant flower borders, serene pond area, and breath-taking New Forest views. For June, the visit was particularly heartfelt, as it marked her first return to her daughter’s garden in several years. The outing provided a meaningful opportunity for June to reconnect with her daughter’s beautiful creation, bringing joy to all involved.

On the 28th of June, we remembered and celebrated armed forces day with the amazing live singer Donna Bland followed by scones with delicious helpings of jam and cream! We even enjoyed a little boogie! We would like to thank everyone that came to support us! These days are things we like to cherish, as it reminds us of the history of the past but we can celebrate in the present

Celebrate with us at our recent Cheese, Wine & Jazz Afternoon, held in honor of National Cheese Day! Residents enjoyed a delightful afternoon featuring live saxophone performances by the talented Hannah Spires, paired with a delicious cheese and wine supper crafted by our fabulous kitchen team. As seen in the photo, our residents raised a toast in a beautifully decorated dining room, creating a warm and festive atmosphere. 

We recently hosted a truly memorable Open Day, and we are delighted to share its success with you. The event brought together residents, families, staff, and visitors for a delightful afternoon celebration featuring an elegant cheese and wine experience, live music, and great conversation.

Our residents and guests were treated to a delicious array of cheeses, cold meats, crackers, and carefully selected wines, creating a relaxed and sociable atmosphere in our beautiful lounge and dining room. Adding to the ambiance was a talented live violinist, whose gentle music set the tone for a warm and joyful occasion. Everyone enjoyed the chance to connect, reminisce, and simply each other’s company.

The Open Day was a great opportunity for families and potential residents to get a glimpse of life at Badgeworth Court – a home where care, community, and quality of life are at the heart of everything we do.

Our Residents were filled with joy during their boat trip curtesy of Solent Dolphin Charity. Our residents sailed around Southampton on a sunny Sunday morning alongside the Solent Dolphin volunteers. Residents began their trip Hythe marina then headed out onto the water where they were able to get up close to some cruise ships and enjoyed the views of the city from the water. The trip was particularly special for one resident Vernon, who was given the opportunity to captain the boat. Being a huge fan of boats, this fabulous experience for him.  

To start the weekend off right, we joined together in the garden to listen to our wonderful volunteer, Amrita, perform for us! Amrita played a mixture of music, including Elvis, Abba, Gene Kelly and Julie Andrews! There was certainly something for everyone!

To follow on from our musical morning, Tina opened up a pop-up stall full of luxury toiletries; creams, perfumes, aftershaves, shower gels and more. It was a great opportunity for a bit of retail therapy, especially for those who aren't able to get as much as they would like.

Thank you Tina, we look forward to your next pop-up stall on Saturday 19th July.

Our recent sporting event led residents and staff out on the field for a fun and entertaining volleyball match!

The weather was in our favour and what better way to top off a Friday afternoon than some exercise, fresh air and friendly competition with the support of all of our fabulous spectators!

Last week was an energetic, fun-filled week of movement and exercise for residents and staff. We got moving and put the ‘fun’ into exercising with an amazing week of activities. We started off our week with some of our gentle chair exercise classes. We then got creative and did some balloon exercise games. We were thrilled to be joined by family and friends too. What a laugh we had!

We continued the week by getting everyone involved in our Dancercise morning classes, which is chair dancing to some of the classic party songs, such as the YMCA, Macarena and many more. Everyone who took part had a fantastic time and left feeling more energised!

We would like to share with you our trip to Pennell’s Garden centre in Silk Willoughby. 

We had a wonderful time admiring the colourful plants, garden goodies and even treated ourselves to coffee and cake in the café area. We were accompanied by our wonderful work experience students Toby and Jemima. 

Earlier this week, we were invited to St. Joseph the Worker School in Hutton for their Father’s Day assembly, where our very own resident Ken was guest of honour.

Today, we’re celebrating the father figures in our care home community—dads, grandads, and all the men who’ve played an important role in the lives of others.

Thank you for everything you bring to our home!

We had the sweetest visit from the little ones at Hutton Preschool! They sang beautifully for our residents, including 'He's got the whole world in his hands' and 'Reach for the Stars', then sat down together for some colourful fun with colouring pencils and big smiles all around.

These moments mean so much—thank you to Hutton Preschool 2LB for brightening our day!

In celebration of National Picnic Week, our residents at Ochil Care Home enjoyed a glorious day out at Camperdown Wildlife Centre. With hampers packed and spirits high, we basked in the warmth of the summer sun, making the most of nature’s beauty and each other’s company.

Nestled among the trees and birdsong, we shared a leisurely picnic before setting off to explore the animal enclosures. From curious lemurs to majestic birds of prey, every encounter brought delight, laughter, and plenty of photo-worthy moments.

It was a day of sunshine, fresh air, and cherished memories—a perfect reminder of the joy found in simple moments shared outdoors. We’re already looking forward to the next adventure!

What a fantastic day our residents had as we tucked into a celebration of one of Britain’s favourite traditions — National Fish and Chips Day! The team at Marini’s Perth served up generous plates of perfectly crispy fish and golden chips that were nothing short of mouth-watering. Every bite brought smiles and contented chatter, creating a shared moment of joy around the table.

We’re incredibly grateful to the wonderful staff at Marini’s for their warm welcome and attentive service. Their kindness and hospitality made the outing even more special for everyone involved.

Here’s to good food, great company, and outings that leave lasting memories!

This week, the halls of Ochil Care Home were alive with music, thanks to a beautiful visit from the talented Oakbank School Spring Orchestra. Residents and staff gathered to enjoy a heartfelt performance that filled the home with both joy and nostalgia.

A truly special moment was shared when our very own Norman took to the piano alongside Audrey on the fiddle. Their spontaneous duet had everyone smiling — a wonderful reminder of the musical spirit that lives within our home.

We extend a heartfelt thank you to the students and teachers of Oakbank School for sharing their time and talents with us, and to everyone who helped make the day such a special one.

Here at Washington Grange we celebrate the gentleman. We started off our celebration with Kev, the care home singer, who we danced with and sang the morning away.

To continue our celebrations, some of our lovely gentlemen enjoyed a meal with their loved ones in our conservatory. The day was amazing from start to finish and all the family members were forever grateful for making it special and making the memories together.

Jack, Helen and Jen have recently enjoyed a lovely walk round to the nearby Landale Gardens. It was a glorious afternoon as the sun shone down on us. We enjoyed chatting on the way round about all the different streets and we also met a couple of friendly dogs too! 

Once in the gardens, we browsed round all the lovely flowers which are all just starting to bloom and then we had a pit stop for a cup of tea!

Jack was also telling us stories of the many happy memories he has of spending time in those gardens as a youngster. It was a lovely afternoon.

Some of our residents have recently enjoyed a 'mannies trip out!' 

We headed to The Dolphin Café for fish and chips. It is safe to say that lunch was thoroughly enjoyed by all, as not even a chip was left in sight! 

We also enjoyed a run round the harbour to see all the boats and watching the hive of activity. It was a lovely trip out.

During the month of June, we were delighted to welcome back Jenny's Donkeys for another visit. Our residents absolutely loved meeting Pugh and Stumpy! We witnessed some lovely interactions and moments and several residents suggested that they would like the donkeys to stay here with us! 

It was lovely to hear our residents reminiscing about their own animal experiences - some actually had donkeys of their own! 

A huge thanks to George, Jenny and Millie for bringing Pugh and Stumpy along to visit - it was a brilliant afternoon and the sun even came out too!

This week some of our plans have changed to allow us to enjoy and adapt to this wonderful weather we have, time spent relaxing in the shade enjoying our courtyards and a mobile ice-cream trolley giving out refreshing strawberries and ice cream from our activity staff. 

This allows residents to keep hydrated in a delicious way.

This recent weather has been perfect for a spot of flower arranging in our newly refurbished first floor café. 

Residents enjoyed discussing the different flowers and making pretty bouquets to display in their rooms.

Jean said, “I used to love working at my family’s garden centre and sorting out all the plants and beautiful flowers."