Activities at Juniper House Care Home

We had a lovely walk in the sunshine to our local pub this afternoon to enjoy a nice cold beer for National Beer Day.

Janet said how lovely it was to have a nice cold beer.

Bob was happy to be able to go enjoy a pint in the pub.

Three of our residents enjoyed a pub lunch at one of our local pubs. We got to the pub for lunchtime and had a warm welcome from the staff at Paisley Pear. We were shown to our table. Everyone made their own choices of the drinks they wanted. All the gentlemen wanted a pint of beer. 

They all said how nice it was. Everyone took time to look over the menu and decide what they all wanted. Conversation was soon underway once everyone had ordered a trip down memory lane. Andrew talked about how he used to enjoy shooting and racing and everyone engaged in the conversation. Keith said how he used to like going out for meals with his wife. Everyone's food came. Keith had seabass and said how nice it was. Keith said how much he enjoys seafood. Albert had scampi and chips and said this was one of his favourite things to have. Andrew had a lamb pie and said how nice it tasted. 

This activity gave us a chance to go out in the community and brought happiness and enjoyment to the gentleman.

Morning out to Buckingham Nurseries and Garden Centre lovely sunny morning as we made our way to the garden centre. Ladies on the trip were interested in what was going on with the roads as we went past the work being done for the new HS2 project so I explained what it was they were doing. 

On arrival at the garden centre we enjoyed a lovely walk round the garden centre and took time to look for more seeds we could plant in our gardening club. We took some suggestions back home to see what everyone thought. One big hit was smelling the candles and everyone saying which one they liked the best. Think it's safe to say we all loved the one that smelt like baby powder. 

One lady stopped us and wanted to say to Cherry how much she loved the colour of her hair this brought a big smile to Cherry's face. 

After a lovely walk around we walked to the cafe and the ladies enjoyed a hot drink and a cake of their choice. Everyone enjoyed the morning out. Barbie said “thank you for taking me. I really enjoyed it.”

The home was in high spirits as they celebrated the National Day of Wales with a baking session making Welsh cakes in honour of the traditional feast day and the country’s patron saint. Residents and staff were treated to a baking session by our home manager, Karen, who is from Wales.

Before we got started, Karen explained the significance of these little griddle-baked treats. She told us how Welsh cakes have been a staple in Welsh households for generations. Traditionally, they were made on a flat cast-iron griddle heated over an open fire. These were a practical and delicious way to use up leftover ingredients, particularly during times of economic hardship. 

Then the real fun began! Karen guided us through each step of the recipe. We mixed flour, sugar, butter, raisins and spices, filling the kitchen with a warm and inviting aroma. Everyone who was at the baking sessions participated. The real magic happened as the cakes began to puff up and turn golden-brown. Karen flipped the cakes, ensuring they were evenly cooked. Finally, the moment of truth arrived. We all sampled our creations. Warm from the pan, everyone was amazed by the outcome. The Welsh cakes were perfectly textured - slightly crisp on the outside and wonderfully soft and crumbly on the inside.

General Manager, Karen, said: “We love celebrating St David’s Day here at Juniper House. I felt honoured to be able to take the baking session and explain the background of Welsh cakes to residents and staff. It took me right back to my days in Wales. I enjoyed every moment with the residents. From start to the end, we all enjoyed tasting our homemade cakes.”

Carroll, a resident at Juniper House, said: “It has been a lovely day. It was wonderful to see everyone go to so much effort to get involved with the day’s celebrations. I really liked this baking session and I loved tasting the Welsh cakes. They tasted amazing.”   

What a wonderful afternoon we had yesterday singing along to some love songs. Having a dance and overall a wonderful time. 

Jinto gave us a exercise class to one song, followed by family and staff coming together to sing two songs with Val and Rob.

The sound of joy was recently brought to Juniper House by bagpiper Steve! A wave of emotion, a mix of joy and bittersweet remembrance, washed over many residents thanks to the generous visits and captivating performance of a local bagpiper, Steve. 

More than just a musical interlude, Steve's performance was a heartfelt gift. Steve didn't just simply arrive, play and leave. Understanding the profound impact music can have, he thoughtfully dedicated his time to ensuring each resident experienced the magic of the bagpipes first-hand. He slowly and carefully walked around the entire home, his pipes filling each room and corridor in the home with stirring sounds of traditional Scottish music.

The result was nothing short of remarkable. Smiles blossomed on faces and eyes filled with tears.
Steve took time after to say how he was only 11 years old when he started to learn to play the bagpipes and was talking to the residents about how old his bagpipes were and how far they have travelled till he managed to buy them.

Jean asked if she could possibly go in a wheelchair to see Steve. I said that was ok, but Steve would be walking around the whole home to which Jean said, could we walk behind him? I said that we could, and Jean had the biggest smile on her face. So I took Jean to the coffee shop where Steve started to play, and within a few seconds Jean's eyes filled with tears, and she said how she just loves the bagpipes. We walked around the whole home and Jean enjoyed every minute of it. Jean was clapping her hands as we went round the home and her smile got bigger.  

Jean said how grateful she was to Steve for coming along and how much she enjoyed it. 
Carroll sat chatting with Steve and, after a chat, Steve offered to play a little more in the coffee shop.