Celebrating life at Barchester

Residents, family, friends and local community came together to enjoy a National favourite in the Great British Summertime! 

Every fortnight, our poetry recital group meet in one of our lounges. Residents can share their favourite poems, often recalling from memory or just enjoy listening. So far we have covered a wide range of poets and genres which has generated discussion, reminiscence and often laughter.

Arbour Court took part in the Get Barchester Moving initiative to raise money and move minutes for Barchester’s Charitable Foundation. As a home, we gained over 290 hours’ worth of move minutes by having danceathons, sports days, Zumba sessions and armchair tennis for all families, residents and staff to enjoy.

During Barchester get moving week we also celebrated Tour De Barchester. We held an indoor Bike Marathon to see how far we could get as a home. Our indoor bike marathon was open to family, friends, visitors, staff and residents. As a whole, we cycled 410 miles, which equates to cycling from Glasgow to Cornwall. 

To celebrate Father’s Day we are hosting a Father’s Day afternoon tea. We have the fantastic singer Burnie, playing the top hits from 50’s and 60’s. 

We all danced and sang away while enjoying light snacks and drinks such as beers and pork pies. This event brought so much laughter and joy to our residents and enabled them to stay active and keep their minds alive by reminiscing about the songs they were hearing.

There is no event in the social calendar quite as revered as Royal Ascot. After all, it’s reserved for the best; the best in racing, the best in hospitality – and, of course, the best in style.  

There really is nothing quite like enjoying a British summer’s day and here at Arbour Court we are doing it with the most beautiful and amazing ladies and dashing gents having Afternoon Tea on the patio celebrating Ladies Day 2025.

Inspiring ladies and gents, sparkling wit and conversation all served up with fantastic weather, quaffing refreshing Mimosas paired with luscious sweet treats.

Residents loved our jaws and claws animal therapy session, seeing animals such as various lizards, geckos, chinchillas, snakes and tortoises. 

This Jaws and claws event was held as our residents wanted reptile animal therapy and voiced their opinion in our monthly resident meetings. 

Residents loved seeing the exotic animals and reminiscing about pets they had owned. One resident explained how it reminded him of a snake he has seen in a tree in a local woodland area when he was playing cricket. 

We believe that Tennyson Wharf has the best carers! We wanted to show how much we care for and appreciate them and celebrate in style.  

Residents took part in activities to make truffles and coconut ice as sweet treats and also a flower-arranging afternoon to present posies to the carers. Families and residents were asked to write notes of support and thanks to the carers. Residents wrote statements such as “my life would be so hard without you.”  

“You have supported me through the toughest time in my life.” And “Thank you for waking me with a cup of tea every morning.” Family members said “My Mum now smiles again, and I no longer have to worry about her, I know she is safe and well looked after.” Also, “Tennyson Wharf a place where my Mum is treated with dignity and respect.” 

We had the amazing opportunity to have Circus Extreme come and visit Tennyson Wharf and talk about life on the road. Residents were fascinated and asked many questions that Marnie Dock, Tour Manager and former acrobat, answered. She also introduced Eddie the clown, Maddie an extreme roller skate artist, Jamhil from the motorbike display team, a few trampoline artists and also a member of the first Mongolian State Circus to visit the UK in the 1980’s.  

We were blown away by the kindness of the circus when they invited us as their guest to see a performance.  We had front row seats and loved every minute of the show.  Hilary, our resident, could not believe that all the stunts were performed without a safety net! Everyone had a wonderful evening. 

Some of our residents here at Melbourn Springs enjoyed an afternoon in the sunshine with a trip out to the Melbourn village fête. They took a look around the many stalls offering different things to buy & enjoyed looking at the old vintage cars on show. 

Then sat down to enjoy a cold drink and an ice cream. A very enjoyable time had by all. 

It is a challenging 4-day cycle ride covering 225 miles, starting in Dumfries and finishing in Cheshire, riding through Cumbria, Lancashire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester, visiting 17 Barchester care homes on the way.

The Tour de Barchester is raising money exclusively for Barchester's Charitable Foundation. Their starting point on the second day was Laurel Bank, and we put on one heck of a party for them to show our support before continuing our cycle for 2 days!

Staff dressed up in all things disco, and we had Gospel music from Adi and a very healthy table of smoothie’s snacks prepared by head Chef Grant and the residents enjoyed breakfast in the sunshine!

Manager Lyndsay Scott and Gardener Gilly took on the Great North swim to raise money for St John's Hospice.

Lyndsay and Gilly have now completed the Great North swim and received their medals! A massive congratulations to you both for such a fantastic achievement! You had us all on the edge of our seats. You have done so well proud and St John's Hospice. 

King Charles visited Lancaster this month for a special ceremony at Lancaster Castle. We took residents to Lancaster castle to see if we could see the king, and we were treated like royalty ourselves. 

When we got there, the police helped us get front row seats right outside the Castle where we waited for the King to arrive. He was keen to meet residents from Laurel Bank, especially Joan, who had an MBE from over 25 years ago. An absolutely amazing day and lots of memories made. 

Queens Court had the honour of hosting Emma de Pfeiffer Key, who is a holistic therapist! Emma told our guests how important it is to take care of their mental well-being and showed us the main nerve points on our hands that we can massage during the day to improve our well-being! 

It was a great conversation. Thank you, Emma! 

Our regular events to which we invite special guests so that they can share their knowledge on how to take care of our physical and mental health.

What a fabulous day we had at Highfield Care Home! We were thrilled to welcome the amazing Diva Chanel, who brought so much joy, laughter, and sparkle to our Pride celebration. Her performance had us all clapping, singing, and laughing from start to finish. It was a truly uplifting afternoon, and it meant so much to celebrate Pride together in such a fun and inclusive way. We’re still smiling!

We’ve been soaking up all the excitement of Wimbledon, with residents getting creative and crafting a brilliant display board - full of colour, conversation, and cherished memories.

Today, we held our very own "Balloon Tennis Tournament", using a volleyball net so everyone could join in. It brought plenty of laughter and light-hearted fun!

Our tennis enthusiasts also enjoyed watching the matches from the comfort of their rooms, chatting about their favourite players and fond recollections of tournaments gone by.

A smashing time was had by all........game, set, and match!

Three of our lovely gentlemen had a fantastic time by the water.

Richard, our seasoned angler, was right in his element. This time, John joined the fun — he used to fish at Sutton Gault when he was younger and has fond memories of it. And Peter? He came along for a change of scenery… though of course, he couldn’t resist catching up on the news with his trusty newspaper in hand!

We had a brilliant morning with a cosy picnic, plenty of good conversation, and a few friendly faces joining us along the lakeside . A wonderful day out, surrounded by nature and great company.

Residents here at Wheatlands love to keep fit through regular exercise. This not only helps maintain their physical health but also supports their mental wellbeing. On Saturday 21st June, it was international yoga day, so we decided to celebrate and learn something new, the art of laughter yoga, as you’re never too old to learn!  We invited Caroline Coulman yoga instructor, in for the morning, to teach us the art of laughter yoga otherwise known as hasya yoga. 

It is a practice that combines laughter, exercises with yoga and breathing techniques. It’s a form of exercise designed to stimulate laughter, along with deep breathing. Laughter yoga not only offers physical benefits but also helps reduce stress, improve mood and enhance wellbeing. 

From the moment Caroline started, the room was filled with so much laughter. We haven’t belly laughed that in so long Joan, 102, said ‘It’s so nice to be silly and see everyone having so much fun’. None of us knew what to expect, but we all loved every single moment of the session, from the residents to the staff.

It's true what they say: laughter really is the best medicine!

Today we took a trip to our local garden centre in Pontarddulais. Residents enjoy going here to look at all of the beautiful flowers and to have a nice cup of coffee. 

The residents also enjoy feeding the ducks in the pond. It’s a fun day for all to enjoy. 

We have been enjoying the best of Somerset this summer with scenic outings to the Cheddar Valley to sample fresh local strawberries and soak in beautiful views.

Part of our life enrichment programme, these minibus trips support wellbeing and community connection, offering our residents meaningful experiences beyond the care home.

A highlight has been visiting Warren’s Farm Shop, where we were warmly welcomed and enjoyed some of the region’s sweetest strawberries. Come rain or shine, everyone has embraced the excursions, picnicking on the bus during showers or enjoying strawberries and cream outdoors on sunny days with stunning views across the valley.

Other recent outings have included garden centre visits for tea and cake, ice cream at Wookey Hole, and peaceful afternoons at Deer’s Leap in the Mendip hills; just a few of the many ways our Activities Team support residents to make the most of every season.

Congratulations to our Jessie on her 100th birthday. She was joined by her ever-loving husband Maurice, close friends and family. They all enjoyed food, drink, a beautiful cake & spent the afternoon reminiscing of happy memories spent with Jessie over the years gone by. 

Congratulations Jessie on your very special day, best wishes from all the staff here at Melbourn Springs.

Braeburn Lodge had the pleasure of welcoming back Zechariah and his amazing saxophone for a stunning performance. As he played the music, the residents were on their feet dancing. It was a morning full of laughter, singing and some of the best dance moves we've seen! Zechariah is always a hit with the residents and over time he has developed his own fan club.

Resident Sheila said "he's lovely, isn't he? And his music is good too!"

Resident Brenda's wish was to go on a shopping spree! She has an eye for anything sparkly and is a big lover of glistening pieces of jewellery. The trip was planned to coincide with Brenda's 90th birthday celebrations. She was over the moon to be able to go and purchase some new jewellery to wear to her party. Of course, Brenda didn't stop at the jewellery, she also brought a new bag and mug. Brenda had the best day and her shopping spree wishes have come true!

Brenda said, "I love my new jewellery, just look at how pretty it is, I feel so special!"

Braeburn Lodge had a lovely visit from Darwin the therapy pony. Darwin is just over 8 years old and is a falabella pony, so this is him fully grown! He has been in training for 6 years for his very special role and has mastered it perfectly. 

Darwin is extremely gentle and has been taught to pick up on people's reactions and emotions. He gives the residents comfort and happiness when he visits. Everyone loves him! Resident Anne said "Oh, isn't he a pretty boy" as she was stroking him. 

We were invited by our local Primary School for a fun event in our local club in Grovesend. Robbie-Lee was singing live for us. Residents enjoyed singing and dancing with the school children and staff. 

Thank you to Pengelli Primary School for organising this event. Our residents really enjoyed it and the smiles on their faces were priceless.

On the 24th June one of our residents, Audrey Bracken celebrated her 103rd birthday. 

She had lots of treats for her birthday, one of which was a special visit from Poppy who is a Wellbeing Dog who visits people in care homes, schools and lots of other places. Audrey loves animals and was delighted to stroke Poppy. She is partially sighted and loved being able to touch her.

Happy British Flowers Week. We have been celebrating the week with lots of colourful flowers. 

We have been getting creative and mastering our flower arranging skills, creating bright bouquets that we have placed around our lovely home. They have also been planting flowers out in their garden. Our residents have all commented how lovely they all are. 

Our residents have been learning all about British flowers, we were surprised at how many different types there were. 

On Thursday 12th June, Day 3 of the Tour De Barchester the cyclists 'rolled'  into Oak Grange to huge cheers and a warm welcome from our Residents, staff and the local community.

We were joined by the Mayor of Chester, local Fire Fighters and members of our Divisional Senior Leadership Team, including our Managing Director, Alison Donaldson.

Residents enjoyed a ride in a trishaw, before tucking into a delicious BBQ and finishing off with a visit from an ice cream van.

This week has been all about celebrating the wonderful carers here at Oxford Beaumont!

Carers Week is an annual event to raise awareness of caring, highlighting the challenges carers face, and recognising the contribution they make to our residents, families and communities throughout the UK.

To treat the team this week, the hospitality team served up a delicious breakfast for the staff to enjoy before the shift ahead. Residents and staff also wrote messages of appreciation to display in the reception, along with a selection of sweet treats!

From everyone here at the Oxford Beaumont, we thank you all for everything you do. From supporting with personal care, serving at meal times, pouring the endless cups of teas to engaging with residents in activities or just simply asking about someone's day. These simple questions can open up a really meaningful conversations and lead to finding common interests, and they can really brighten somebody's day!

THANK YOU CARERS! 

The Queens Court team thanked the volunteers who consistently spend time with our residents. Their interest, skills and availability have enriched the lives of our residents and staff.