Activities at North Park Care Home

North Park care centre, in Darlington, hosted a mediaeval garden party to celebrate Spring Bank Holiday and invitations were sent out to the local community.  Staff, residents and guests celebrated the occasion with traditional mediaeval foods such as mutton, an assortment of fried root vegetables, blood pudding, pork sausages and chops washed down with an abundance of ale and mead or milk for the younger ones. Staff preformed a courtly dance at the end of the meal before being locked in the stocks where instead of rotten fruit sponges soaked in ice cold water was thrown at them.

Residents across our services had a delightful time during a special virtual sensory storytelling event, led by Art Historian Jon Sleigh from the Historic Royal Palaces.

Jon took us on a journey to discover some of the more unusual and unexpected inhabitants of the palaces and the Tower of London, sharing fascinating stories about the pets at the palaces.

Whilst enjoying the virtual experience, our residents were treated to hot beverages, delicious biscuits, berries and cakes.  It was a truly lovely time for all.

We had a wonderful time at North Park celebrating the coronation of King Charles III. We had the full three days of festivities starting on the Saturday where we all gathered to watch the procession and the coronation whilst enjoying cheeses and wines. On the Sunday we joined in with the big lunch where we invited friends, family and neighbours to join us for picnic lunches in our beautiful lounges. On Monday we were to hold a garden party, however the weather had other ideas but rain did not stop play, we just moved inside.

Across our services Residents had a wonderful time participating in an interactive virtual talk with Pippa Catterall, Professor of History and Policy at the University of Westminster, where we delved into the rich history of coronations.

During the talk, we explored fascinating topics such as the coronation chair, the crown, and other significant aspects related to King Charles' upcoming coronation. Our residents were thrilled to have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the memoirs of past coronations from 1937 and 1953, as well as learning about the coronation oath and what to expect from the ceremony, including the music, guests, and pageantry.

Wine and cheese afternoons are a firm favourite pastime here at North Park. Residents like nothing better than to get together with a selection of cheeses, crackers, antipasto and wine. We usually enjoy a sing along and dance on these afternoons and as one of our family members stated “it’s a proper party home here, we love visiting and joining in”

We love music here at North Park and have found it stimulates the memories, can ease pain, relieve the symptoms of depression, reduce stress and lift the mood. Our residents love to sing, dance and continue to play their musical instruments or join in with percussion.

In his younger days John travelled the UK playing guitar in a band and continues to enjoy playing for residents and staff and we enjoy listening to him too.