Celebrating life at Barchester

Our residents at Cadbury Hall were treated to a wonderful afternoon of music and entertainment when the Weston-Super-Mare Ukulele Group came to visit.

The talented group filled up the home with cheerful ukulete music, familiar songs and plenty of opportunities for our residents to sing along. There were lots of smiles, toes tapping  and laughter as everyone enjoyed their lively performance.

We would like to give a huge THANK YOU to the Weston-Super-Mare Ukulele band for sharing their time and talents with us and look forward to welcoming you back to Cadbury Hall again in the near future.

Residents at Westergate House enjoyed a glamorous change of scenery recently when the care home hosted its very own fashion party. We were delighted to welcome Linda from Linnie’s Fashions, who brought along a wonderful collection of clothing for residents to browse, try on and purchase.  

There was something to suit everyone, with an extensive selection of ladies’ and men’s clothing in a wide range of styles and sizes. Residents enjoyed taking their time to look along the rails, choosing new outfits and, of course, sharing their opinions on each other’s selections!       

The fashion party provided a lovely opportunity for residents to socialise, enjoy some retail therapy and spend time together in a relaxed and fun setting.

At Westergate House, we were delighted to welcome some fantastic classic cars to our home thanks to members of the Spurs Classic Car Club, who have regular meets at The Spur pub, a nearby local. Our residents thoroughly enjoyed getting up close to the beautiful vehicles, with plenty recognising cars from their younger days. Memories and stories shared between our residents were plentiful – from first cars and family outings to special journeys.  

The visit from the classic car club was very popular with our residents, and it was wonderful to see how something as simple as a familiar vehicle can spark so many conversations and memories.

With the sun shining and preparations in place, we knew our Summer Fabulous Festival at Westergate House would be something special and wow! What a party! From the moment we opened our doors and our guests gathered, music filled the air, glasses were filled and the celebration began. DJ Guy started the music extravaganza outside in our grounds, and it wasn’t long before we were singing along and swaying to the rhythm of his popular tunes. 

Meanwhile, Leo May entertained all in the Goodwood Memory Lane community with popular favourites such as Elvis and Little Richard. Next up was the lovely Honey Bee Sings, a fabulous treat for us all! Beautiful songs spanning the decades that took us on a trip down memory lane. Lunch was fabulous – Chef Sam and his amazing kitchen team provided a wonderful BBQ lunch which was enjoyed under the shade of the gazebos. Jazz music from Seaman Jazz Quintet rounded up the afternoon, the perfect sound for a summer party with loved ones.            

As part of Falls Prevention Week, we were delighted to welcome Matthew Ruck from Nuffield Health in Hendon to Magnolia Court.

Matthew spoke to our residents and members of the local community about the importance of exercise, particularly as we get older, before putting everyone through their paces with a resistance band exercise class.

The session was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone, with attendees already asking when Matthew will be coming back!

A big thank you to Matthew for giving his time and helping us enjoy a fun and informative afternoon.

Eve enjoyed a lovely trip out to help with the shopping for Shabbat and Sukkot.

Our first stop was Moshe’s in Temple Fortune for kiddush wine, followed by Daniels for some fresh challah. On the way home, we stopped at a Lulav and Etrog stall, which brought back some special memories for Eve of celebrating Sukkot with her family as a child.

Eve spoke proudly about her Jewish heritage and told us how much she enjoys feeling useful and being able to help. It was a lovely day out and a wonderful opportunity to support Eve in continuing traditions that have been an important part of her life.

We were delighted to welcome Dylan Desai from Specsavers to Bushey House Beaumont for an interesting and informative talk about eye health.

Dylan explained some of the common eye conditions that can affect us as we get older, including cataracts, glaucoma and macular degeneration, as well as how other health conditions can sometimes affect our eyesight.

Our residents particularly enjoyed trying the simulation glasses, which gave them an insight into how different eye conditions can change the way we see the world.

A fascinating afternoon and a big thank you to Dylan for coming along and sharing his knowledge with us.