Celebrating life at Barchester

Residents enjoyed the loveliest of afternoons  filled with creativity, laughter and bubbly a plenty.

Whilst the first glasses of Prosecco were being poured, we eagerly set up our materials for a fun new activity.

The coffee lounge was full of smiles, chat and excitement as everyone picked up their brushes and got stuck in. It was wonderful seeing everyone’s confidence grow as they put paint to their canvases, and enjoyed each other’s company.

We love creating new, fun activities for our wonderful residents to enjoy, ensuring a fabulous variety is provided for all to enjoy.  

Love is in the air, every time we look around... Valentine's Day was filled with love, laughter and so many special moments as we celebrated together at Newton House.

Welcoming the fabulous Steve Carmel for a morning of love songs, residents enjoyed music, Valentine's drinks trolley and wonderful company! There were smiles all around and plenty of dancing and singing along. It was the most magical of mornings and the resident, Mike, loved performing for his peers with Steve.

It was beautiful to see everyone enjoying themselves and sharing stories, with Margaret saying

“The secret to a good marriage is trust. If you can’t trust each other, it will never work.”

A big thank you to our amazing team who helped make the day so special and to everyone who joined in our celebrations. Days like today remind us that love, kindness and companionship can be felt at every age.   

What a wonderful few days here at our care home, Lancaster Grange. Spreading the love with flowers and arrangements, going hand in hand with today, being 'Valentine’s Day', we’ve certainly celebrated in style.

A fabulous performance by Linda Simms was held this afternoon, playing both clarinet and saxophone in our community coffee shop, which evoked many happy memories for our residents. Linda happily performed songs from the shows, along with love songs, enjoyed by all the community.

To our delight, we thoroughly enjoyed delicious strawberries dipped in chocolate, along with delicate pastries, all baked here by our second chef, Nomin. A great time for our residents here at Lancaster Grange, stimulating our minds, bodies and souls with music, great food and company!

Wishing you all a very special 'Valentine’s Day’ from us all here at Lancaster Grange.  

Pancake Day, here at Lancaster Grange, brought a smile to everyone’s face! This afternoon, our Life Enrichment team delivered pancakes around our home, visiting all communities and residents' rooms.

Our Second Chef, Nomin, and the hospitality team, worked hard in preparing freshly made pancakes, with tasty oranges, lemons, fresh fruits and a delicious chocolate sauce to complement it.

Our residents, family members and staff were thrilled to receive a pancake, making everyone’s afternoon extra special. The simple mix of pancake batter brought joy and happiness to our home, evoking many happy memories for our residents and visiting families.

The favourite was certainly with sugar, lemons and oranges, a traditional flavour that led to many stories of pancakes at home.

We discussed Pancake Day or Shrove Tuesday, as some call it. Many shared 'it’s the time for us to eat pancakes or for the children to enjoy a pancake race.' We asked ourselves, what does Shrove Tuesday have to do with pancakes? 

Before Lent fasting, people traditionally used up ingredients they are not allowed to eat during the next 40 days, especially ingredients that will spoil, like eggs and milk, and a great way to use up these ingredients is making pancakes! They shared 'That is how Shrove Tuesday, the last day before Lent, became known as Pancake Day, by using up all the ingredients in the cupboards'

We embraced our Pancake Day, stimulating many senses, enjoying time together and also popping into our residents' rooms to include them in today’s experience. Wishing you all a 'Happy Pancake Day', from us all here at Lancaster Grange.  

We have certainly enjoyed 'Magical Moments' in our community of Memory Lane over the last couple of days, here at our care home, Lancaster Grange. We warmly welcome back 'Stone Street Sounds', a wonderful company that offers a stimulating interactive musical experience.

This session features music that specialises in nostalgic, memory-lane, sing-along songs along with visual, interactive pictures reminiscing through the years.

A magical experience for us all to enjoy, with residents attending from all communities, bringing tears of joy and evoking many memories.

We're certainly looking forward to welcoming them back! We had a wonderful time. Our residents were thrilled to be able to request songs and enjoy the picture memories to go along.      

Heritage is a vital aspect of any nation’s identity. In Great Britain, it encompasses a rich history, culture, and traditions that have evolved over centuries. As our world modernises, the importance of heritage become even more pronounced. The connection to the past provides a foundation upon which future generations are built. The stories of those who came before us can guide future decisions and this interplay between the past and future is essential for fostering a cohesive society.

Today, at Tyspane Care Home we were joined by local resident James Bennett, James is passionate about the history of Braunton, and extremely knowledgeable about its history. James delivered a wonderful presentation including photographs of Braunton past and present for residents, families, friends, professionals, and community.

Resident’s told stories of their childhood’s in Braunton, and shared information about early Braunton.

Anthea (daughter of resident) stated, “Great to hear residents at Tyspane have access to inspirational talks!”

Thank you, James, for an extremely interesting talk, we do hope you visit again.      

Valentine’s Day at Fairview was truly filled with sweet moments and beautiful melodies. In the morning, residents gathered for a delightful chocolate fondue party, enjoying fresh strawberries and fluffy marshmallows dipped into rich, velvety chocolate. There were plenty of smiles as everyone shared treats and conversation, making it a wonderfully indulgent start to the day.
Residents and their loved ones enjoyed taking photos together at our Valentine’s photobooth, to capture some truly special moments.

In the afternoon, the room was filled with warmth as beautiful flute music and heartfelt songs created a truly uplifting atmosphere. Residents sang along, tapped their feet, and embraced the joy of the occasion. It was a day full of sweetness, music, laughter, and togetherness that will be fondly remembered.

The clink of cutlery and the warm aroma of fresh breakfast greeted residents as they arrived for a delightful buffet spread. From flaky pastries to hearty favourites, everyone could fill their plates with exactly what they fancied. Some residents even took the chance to make their own eggs, cooked just the way they like them, adding a personal and fun touch to the meal. Fresh fruit, cereals, and a variety of toppings made the buffet even more tempting, encouraging everyone to get creative with their choices.

The room buzzed with cheerful chatter, laughter, and the joy of sharing stories. Compliments were exchanged over dishes, friends encouraged each other to try something new, and the atmosphere was full of warmth and camaraderie.    

Winter Olympic Week at Fairview has been a wonderful hit with our residents! Throughout the week, everyone embraced the spirit of the games, taking part in a variety of fun and friendly challenges including bean bag toss, ring toss, a winter quiz, beer pong, and darts. The room was filled with laughter, cheers, and plenty of teamwork as competitors gave it their all and supported one another along the way.

From impressive accuracy in the tossing games to sharp knowledge shown in the quiz, every event brought fantastic enthusiasm and determination. We wrapped up the celebrations with a special awards ceremony, recognising all the amazing efforts and achievements. Congratulations to all of our winners and participants for making the week such a joyful and memorable occasion!