Activities at The Cedars Care Home

From a very British BBQ...to a scorcher of an afternoon's entertainment with Alan Jackson! Although we had a dribble of rain, nothing was going to dampen our spirits as our chefs produced a platter of BBQ chicken and burgers followed by a summer trifle for lunch. Alan sang a medley of songs that everyone enjoyed singing and dancing to - Moon River was a beautiful highlight. 

The Tiki Bar opened in the interval, serving refreshing, fruity Pimms, G&Ts and chilled white wine. Alan took so many requests from residents, and made Ellen’s day by singing directly to her.    

We celebrated Alice in Wonderland Day with a Mad Hatters Tea Party, including delicious treats and fizzy pink lemonade, a quiz on all things Alice and a Queen of Hearts competition. 

Our winner was May, who kept us all in suspense before drawing her winning card! Everyone loved wearing the silly hats and, of course, we all kept "moving round". Doreen and Dorothy said, "What a fun afternoon that was!" 

We were thrilled to be asked to support the creation of a purple poppy display this year, which is being exhibited in a local church window. Residents Doreen, Dorothy, Barbara, Catherine, Chris and Sheila; volunteer Audrey and staff members Lisa and Helen worked together to create a full bag of knitted and crochet purple poppies to add to the display, in remembrance of the animals that died during the war. 

We were very excited to receive these photos of the finished display, which looks incredible!  

This week, some of our residents fancied a trip on the minibus to Hillier Garden Centre in Braishfield. 

Located in the grounds of Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Hillier’s has been inspiring plant lovers for more than 40 years. 
Our residents discovered a fabulous plant area bursting with quality plants, many grown locally by Hillier’s nurseries in Hampshire. 

The residents enjoyed lunch in the café, before continuing on exploring the gardens in the glorious weather!

On Tuesday, we had the treat of a visit from Trouble the Shetland pony. Trouble belongs to Jenny, one of our carers here at Cedars. The residents had such a wonderful time meeting him and making a fuss of him!

He definitely didn’t live up to his name whilst he was here with us. He was such a good boy and enjoyed all the cuddles and fuss from our residents. A big thank you to Jenny for bringing Trouble to the Cedars!  

The residents here at Cedars spent a lovely afternoon in the garden, enjoying a friendly game of croquet under the summer sun. 
Laughter and conversation filled the air as they played together. 
It’s moments like these that bring comfort, connection, and joy to everyday life at Cedars.
 

What a wonderful sunny afternoon on the Alison McGregor 
This was our second trip this year with Solent Dolphin who are always so accommodating and attentive! 
Our residents had a fabulous time taking in the sights and Alan even had a go at driving the boat. 
We couldn’t think of a better way to have spent a summer’s afternoon. 

Our residents were delighted to get out on the Solent on Sunday morning in the sunshine.  The clouds had parted, and the wonderful charity run boat, the Alison MacGregor, set sail!  The residents at the Cedars had a fantastic time taking in the sights of Southampton’s busy shipping lanes and then into the calm waters with beautiful swans, black and white, along the river and up to the mill at BItterne. 

One resident wanted to be the skipper and, with the help of the staff on board, she was able to steer the boat calmly back to the boat’s home in Hythe Marina. 

This week some of our residents took a trip in the mini-bus to the memorial park in Romsey. 

They had a fabulous time watching the ducks in the river and strolling round the park, followed by a cup of tea and slice of cake at the café.