Activities at Atfield House Care Home

At Atfield House we enjoyed a week of activities around the 80th anniversary celebrations of VE Day. We baked wartime recipe biscuits and made our own eaten mess, cutting lots of strawberries and meringues. Residents enjoyed a musical performance of the best-loved war songs and more. Residents also gathered around the table to share their one-of-a-kind memories. We received snippets of memories from VE Day Celebrations written into the diary in 1945 by one of our residents to share around the table. There were plenty of stories to listen to and this one was recorded to share here. It reads:

I was 5 years old when war was declared. I was with my Grandmother picking hops in Kent. When it was announced, my grandmother cried and said wet the flannels and cover your faces we were going to be gassed - of course it never happened! It was a few months later, we were going to be evacuated to Barnstable in Devon. The train dropped off a few evacuees at every station we stopped at on route until we arrived in Barnstable with the last 40–50 evacuees.

We were taken to the market hall. It must have been Sunday as it was empty except for us evacuees and the people who were going to take us in. I was the last to be chosen as I was with my mother and my month-old sister and nobody wanted to take in a family. We were lucky and were taken in by the chief constable and his wife, who was head of the WVS, and they had a large 6-7 bedroom; they also had staff, two maids called Lucy and Vera. One was English and the other French, who I helped when I was not at school. And a gardener.

We stayed in Barnstable for about a year, then on to Luton, where my father was stationed at the Airport. He was a Sergeant in the RAF at that time. I cannot remember for how long, but when my Dad was posted overseas, we moved to Leicester, where my Aunt and Grandmother were. Returning to London in 1943 in time for the V1 bombs called Doodlebugs because of the noise they made. Then silence when they dropped. None landed close to where we lived in Kennington, London, where my second sister was born. My Mother took us to sleep in Kennington tube station on a platform at night in case of bombs.
I was 11 years old when the war ended and our VE Day celebrations were held in a school hall, not in the street. I remember boys being given a jigsaw or cricket bat as a gift. My mother wanted me to have a cricket bat. 

We had a heart-warming time with residents and family members' input in these celebrations. We celebrate the lives of our residents, their courage and resilience in having come through these difficult times. We also celebrate the peace we are able to enjoy thanks to the bravery of so many English soldiers in WW2!

Residents at Atfield House and our smaller visitors from our neighbourhood enjoyed the Easter egg hunt in our beautiful garden again this year. The excitement was great, as the children looked for these hidden treasures in the flowers and bushes. 

The Easter bunny greeted every visitor and was ready to help with a few hints to make sure no egg was left behind. Everybody left smiling and enjoyed their Easter Sunday afternoon with so much fun to share.

Residents at Atfield House were awaiting the animal visit for Good Friday with excitement and anticipation. We all hoped that the weather would be good, so we could meet the animals in our garden. To everyone's delight, the weather was pleasant and residents and their visitors enjoyed meeting the animals. Even our great-grandchildren enjoyed stroking and holding the small animals on their laps. There were guinea pigs, rabbits, ducks and even a barn owl to hold and stroke. 

A sheep and its lamb, goats and a donkey also came along and nibbled on the grass in our garden. The two dogs strolled excitedly between visitors, wagging their tales. It was a lovely afternoon for everyone encountering these gentle creatures. Even the barn owl enjoyed meeting residents in their rooms and won many hearts with her beautiful feathered outfit. What delightful encounters for everyone to remember!

At Atfield House, we were entertained by the lovely singer Patricia and her accompanist Matt, both accomplished musicians. Our residents enjoyed the lively repertoire and the joy of music on this special day. We honoured the beginning of April, and we wanted to make our wonderful musician in residence a musical birthday surprise. 

Everybody said how much they enjoyed the performance that day and the birthday songs were an added delight to all. We were so happy that this occasion could bring special joy to the birthday of our resident. We are grateful to Patricia and Matt for coming to Atfield House and sharing their love, kindness and musical skill with us, bringing joy and laughter to all.

Residents at Atfield House enjoyed an afternoon of encounters with small, soft and affectionate animals. Guinea pigs rested on our residents' laps in small baskets and enjoyed nibbling on greens and carrots. It was a peaceful scene, as everyone watched these small guests, who seemed so contented and lovely to stroke. After they enjoyed the nibbles, they talked to each other and had a little rest. 

The barn owl was held by Roxanne, our handler, and everyone could admire her beauty and stroke her feathered garment, meanwhile the chicks carried on with their delightful sounds in the background. Nakuru, the black Labrador, walked to and fro to say hello to everyone too. She was kind and gentle, and she knew all these little creatures already!! The little hedgehog was also admired as he was stroked by everyone and the little tortoise felt very comfortable next to his rabbit friends! Smiles on residents' and visitors' faces marked this lovely afternoon as truly memorable! Even our staff members looked by to stroke a rabbit and see what a chinchilla looked like!

The residents of Atfield House watched in amazement, as Katie performed her breathtaking tap dance performance. 

Residents joined in clapping and shaking their egg-shakers, while mesmerised by Katie's energetic and professional dance performance. Nobody wanted to miss out on this opportunity to see Katie dance to the beautiful and well-known songs from the good old days! 

We all enjoyed yet another uplifting and fun afternoon in the first month of 2025!