Activities at Ashcombe House Care Home

Peggy and Joan, two of our residents, first met at Basingstoke High School for Girls 85 years ago at the age of 13 years and have been dear friends ever since.

We took Peggy and Joan on a trip down memory lane to Alresford, a village local to Basingstoke.  As we drove to Alresford along Garlic Lane Joan and Peggy shared how they used to cycle along Garlic lane together as young girls on their way to Alresford.  Peggy said that the roads were very different back then.

When we arrived at Alresford we visited Long Barn where Peggy and Joan enjoyed a coffee and shared a watercress scone while they reminisced about their school days, remember friends they shared and adventures they went on together.

Joan remarked how incredible it is that they're still friends as they approach 100 years old. She said it's truly wonderful that they can continue to share such special moments together.

We went on an outing in our minibus to visit Bombay Sapphire Distillery in Whitchurch. While we were there, one of the distillery hosts took us around the old mill, sharing the fascinating history of the buildings and explaining how Bombay Sapphire Gin is made on the site.  Bombay Sapphire has ten exotic botanicals infused into every drop of their Gin, and we were lucky enough to see each of the plants in their beautiful greenhouses.

We visited the Botanical Dry room where we saw and smelt the botanical ingredients before learning about the rare vapour infusion distillation process which makes Bombay Sapphire gin so unique.

Our garden is looking beautiful, with all the flowers in full bloom. The colours of the flowers are really vibrant in the sunshine.

The residents gathered together in the garden to relax, soak up the sunshine and enjoy each other’s company. Our chef came round with a selection of ice lollies and ice creams for everyone to enjoy. Staying hydrated is so important in this weather.

Sally said there is nothing quite like good company and a sweet treat on a sunny day!

We had a fantastic afternoon as we welcomed Ben Bamboozle, a traditional Punch and Judy show, to entertain us — with some very special young guests from Kings Furlong school. 

Our residents especially loved watching the children’s reactions. Their joy and laughter were so infectious. Joan said it was lovely to hear the children’s laughter. Sally said she immensely enjoyed the whole afternoon, and it made all the difference to have the children enjoy the show with us.

Punch and Judy shows have been enjoyed by generations. Today we were reminded of the joy that comes from connecting generations through sharing special moments. At the grand old age of 363, Mr Punch still makes everyone laugh, young and old.  

We spent the week celebrating VE Day 80. On Monday, we gathered together in the lounge to watch the moving VE Day celebrations in London on the television.  Gerry was really pleased to see the Portsmouth Royal Marine Band taking part in the parade. The Red Arrows fly past was the highlight for Sally.  

We enjoyed a good old singalong, singing VE Day songs including Pack Up Your Troubles, We’ll Meet Again and Somewhere Over the Rainbow along with other songs. Vera Lynn songs were definitely our favourites.
The children from Kings Furlong school came to visit and made crowns for everyone. It was a joy for the residents to talk to the children as they were busy colouring and sticking jewels on crowns which they proudly presented to each resident.

Finally, we celebrated with a delicious buffet lunch made for us by our fantastic chefs Tracey and Jules. Everyone got together in the lounge to enjoy the amazing food, followed by a performance by the band China Wolf, which finished with us all singing ‘God Save The King’. It was a week that reminded us of who we are, and of all we still mean to one another. 

At Ashcombe House we like to take advantage of the sunny weather to go out and about in our minibus. The residents thought a trip to the seaside for fish and chips would be a lovely way to enjoy the gorgeous sunny April weather.

We decided to visit Southsea as Georgie used to live in Southsea and fondly remembers her time bowling at her bowling club and Gerry grew up and lived in Portsmouth before moving to Ashcombe House. Walking along the seafront enjoying the sunshine and the sea view, we bumped into Gerry’s old neighbours!  Gerry was delighted to see them. They chatted and caught up with their news.

After a delicious lunch of fish and chips on the pier, Ron walked down to the seaside to collect some seashells. Gerry remembered the barbed wire on the beach during the war to protect against invasion. He was pleased to see Ron able to enjoy walking on the beach. 

We took advantage of a lovely sunny day in March to go out in our minibus to Conkers Garden Centre. Sally and Gerry were keen to look around at all the indoor treats and the outdoor plants. We needed a new plant for our garden. Sally was in charge of choosing one that would fit in well with our other plants. Sally decided a yellow Forsythia would be a perfect addition to our garden, so we chose the best one we could find! We are looking forward to seeing it in full bloom.

A trip to the garden centre wouldn’t be complete without a visit to their café! We sat in the garden overlooking the stream enjoying a coffee, a hot chocolate and a piece of cake in the early spring sunshine.

Last year Ashcombe House was fortunate to be invited to pilot the Milestones Memory Lounge. Our residents thoroughly conducted the sessions, which involved items and memories from the 1960’s. We were invited to attend the official opening of the Memory Lounge, which gave us a chance to see the finished 1960’s ‘house’ full of items that spark memories and conversation. It was a lovely afternoon. We met the Mayor of Basingstoke and got a chance to explore the museum, visiting and reminiscing about all the shops that used to be in Basingstoke.

We ended the visit with a trip to Milestones' very own pub, The Baverstock Arms!  

Ashcombe House enjoyed taking part in Nutrition and Hydration Week.  We started the week with Guinness and Irish cream with our St. Patrick Day celebrations.  On our Baking for Fun morning, we made jelly and blancmange in a rabbit mould.  The blancmange rabbit brought up memories of birthday parties.  Peggy said that it wasn’t a party with a rabbit blancmange!  Our Nutrition and Hydration Trolley was a great success. It was taken around the home, so everyone could choose a treat to enjoy.

However, the star of our Nutrition and Hydration Week was our fruit-carving afternoon with our amazing chef Jules. Jules showcased his fruit-carving talent, turning fruit and vet into a sea scene, apple swans, orange mice and our very own Joan’s face in a watermelon!  Pat said how wonderful it was to see the fruit and veg come to life.  Everyone enjoyed a bowl of fruit while we all agreed it had been a fabulous afternoon.