Celebrating life at Barchester

Residents have been busy making and baking chocolate brownies and cupcakes to celebrate World Chocolate Cake Day.

Our chef here at Ashminster House made a three-teared chocolate sponge cake and Rita took the honour of cutting the cake for our afternoon tea.

The results of our garden club are in full swing with our first pumpkin growing strong. Residents planted the seeds and have watched them grow since day one.

Residents have been watering the pumpkin every day. When the pumpkin is fully grown and turned orange, it will be entered into the community pumpkin competition. Fingers crossed it will come first.

Residents enjoyed a virtual tour of their favourite sites of London. Looking back, Westminster Abbey and Big Ben were the most popular.

Afterwards, residents got creative and made a spectacular display of London sites.

Today we held our very own Dog Show, and we’re delighted to say it was a huge success! 

We had lots of wonderful dogs come along to take part in a variety of fun categories, including Best Trick, Speed Snack, Waggiest Tail, Dog & Owner Lookalike, statues, Cutest Dog (under 1, over 1 and over 8.) and Best in Show!

Our residents had the important job of being our judges, and Norma particularly enjoyed the experience. Having shown German Shepherds when she was younger, she certainly knew what to look for! 

It was a brilliant afternoon filled with lots of wagging tails, happy faces and plenty of fun. A huge thank you to everyone who came along and made our dog show so special — it was thoroughly enjoyed by all!               

Harry has always shared wonderful stories about the horses he grew up with and the special memories of his grandad’s horses. His love for horses has never faded—it really is something special. Although he adores all animals, horses have always held a special place in his heart, and he often asks if he can see them.

Thanks to our amazing nurse, Tracey, that wish became a reality. She very kindly brought her beautiful horse, Willow, to visit Harry, just for him, and the smile on his face said it all. He was absolutely over the moon and so grateful for such a thoughtful surprise.

The joy didn't stop there either! Tracey made sure other residents could enjoy the visit too, taking her horse to the windows of those who were unable to leave their rooms, bringing smiles and happiness all around.

What a truly wonderful afternoon, filled with kindness, special memories, and dreams coming true. 

Staff and residents at Lydfords care home  are celebrating because their home has been named a winner in the Lottie Awards 2026.  Lydfords was picked both in the Care Expert’s Top 10 of all care homes in the country and in the Top 100 care homes overall.

Wow, what can we say?! What a fantastic afternoon we all had! Our amazing staff pulled together for a fun-filled Team Building Sports Day, getting into teams and giving it their all! The residents gathered around to cheer on each team, creating such a wonderful atmosphere and making it a truly memorable afternoon.

We had an egg-and-spoon race, hula hoop competition, sack race, three-legged race, and, of course, a very competitive tug of war to finish! 

The residents also enjoyed some delicious treats, including candy floss, ice cream and plenty of cold drinks. A huge thank you to all of our fantastic staff who took part, got involved and helped make the afternoon such a success. Your enthusiasm and team spirit made the day extra special! 

What a brilliant afternoon of fun, laughter and togetherness!