Celebrating life at Barchester

At White Lodge we believe that every wish matters, no matter how big or small. One of our lovely resident couples, who have been part of the Cricklade Open Door community for many years, shared how much they would love to visit their old group again. We were delighted to make their wish come true by arranging a special visit with the wonderful Open Door team.

It was a truly heart-warming afternoon filled with smiles, laughter and friendly competition as everyone enjoyed a game of Higher and Lower together. Most importantly, our residents had a chance to reconnect with old friends, reminisce about treasured memories and make new friendships along the way.

Our resident couple mentioned, "A very enjoyable afternoon, very happy to see familiar faces again and are already looking forward to many more visits with old friends and new friends from White Lodge."

A huge thank you to the Cricklade Open Door team for the warm welcome, delicious cake and for helping make the day special and so memorable.

Residents and Friends had a wonderful time enjoying the beauty of the flowers that were kindly donated by Asda Poole. Residents sat in the garden making their flower arrangements.

A lovely mid-morning trip to the Park with Sally, Doreen and Mary .We enjoyed gentle walks, colourful beach huts, children building sandcastles and stunning views across to the Purbeck Hills. After a cool orange drink on the bench, everyone met back at the bus with happy smiles.

Some afternoons have a way of gently turning the clock back, and our candy floss treat was one of those moments. The candy floss machine arrived like a cheerful surprise, bright and inviting with its clear bowl and colourful details. Residents gathered close with curious eyes, leaning in to watch the mesmerising process, amazed at how quickly it transformed. It didn’t take long for the candy floss to do what it does best, unlock childhood memories. A few residents remembered seaside trips, walking along the promenade, others talked about family outings and special treats.

There was something beautifully simple about it: a sweet treat, a few stories, and a room full of people enjoying the moment side by side. It tasted soft, sugary, and full of the kind of happiness that doesn’t need an occasion.

There’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked scones!

On Friday, our residents enjoyed an afternoon of baking with our Head Chef, Roman. With Roman talking everyone through each step, our residents made their own scones completely from scratch – and both groups did a fantastic job.

Of course, the best part came the following day when it was time to enjoy them with plenty of cream and jam!

Baking is something many of our residents have enjoyed throughout their lives, whether cooking for their families, baking with their children or simply making something special for afternoon tea. Being able to continue these familiar activities can bring back some lovely memories as well as being great fun.

We hold regular cooking and baking sessions at Bushey House with Roman and our catering team, and they’re always popular with residents and staff alike.

Our residents had a lovely afternoon when our friends from Performing Pets brought two beautiful baby cockatiels to visit us.

Six-month-old Coconut and Banana were certainly the stars of the afternoon! Our residents loved having the opportunity to hold them and enjoy their company – and even some of our staff couldn’t resist joining in.

Our monthly visit from Performing Pets is always a highlight and something our residents really look forward to. The big question now is… who will be coming to see us next month?