Celebrating life at Barchester

Some of our residents enjoyed a stroll in the local park this week. We saw the Baby Swans and ducks and enjoyed a walk down the canal. 

Our residents really enjoyed the fresh air and nature. Just look at those faces.

What a wonderful day out on an amazing steam train from Bolton Abbey to Embsay and back! Everyone admired the views, talking, laughing with each other and other passengers on the train. 

Amazing when one of our residents lived near Bolton Abbey train station and remembers what it used to be like. Full of joy and happiness, telling stories to the volunteers at the station.

Once back at Bolton Abbey, we enjoyed our picnic while waving at the passengers ready for their train trip. We finished off with a cup of tea and some amazing cake from the Tea Room! Couldn’t thank you enough to all the amazing volunteers at both Embsay and Bolton Abbey stations. We look forward to seeing you all again soon!

A bit of heavy rain on Thursday didn't stop us from packing up our picnic to enjoy a lovely trip on the steam train. Amazing hospitality and help from the volunteers at West Somerset Steam Railway - Bishops Lydeard. 

See you again in a few weeks when we get to see the flying Scotsman. 

We were so lucky to be joined by the MyDays group. 

The weather was so lovely we played connect 4 in the garden. It was a fun and enjoyable morning for us all. Thank you for coming to spend time with us. 

We have some lovely visitors  from The Castle School spend the morning with us and help support our residents with life enrichment. 

They helped with a exercise and skittles session up on Willow as well as getting some wise words from our residents. Thank you for helping us out yesterday.

We had a lovely afternoon, reminiscing, chatting and lots of laughter at The New Inn Alphington.
Our residents enjoyed a little tipple and savoury snacks which were all served with wonderful hospitality from the team.

We have also been discussing some of our upcoming events, including our American Independence Day celebrations, taking place this Friday. We will have a music performance from our life enrichment and care team, followed by a delicious American-themed dinner, including cheeseburgers, hot dogs, French fries, milk shakes and ice cream sundaes, all expertly prepared by our catering team.

It was a great afternoon and further solidified how important getting out and about is to us at Lucerne House. We have lots more outings to our favourite places, planned in the coming weeks and over the summer which we look forward to sharing with you. 

We enjoyed a pleasant conversation with some of our male residents and, as they mentioned not having visited a pub recently, we all went to our local pub, the Three Crowns & Sugar Loaf. 

The gentlemen had some lovely conversations, and it was a wonderful afternoon.   

Our Residents enjoyed a visit from one of their favourite entertainers this week Johnny Laff.

Johnny entertained with jokes, singing and laughter. He sang some old and new and our Residents joined in to make it a truly memorable afternoon.

One of the cornerstones of our life enrichment program is live musical entertainment. Resident involvement in choosing genres along with feedback after each performance means that we are able to constantly improve our activities calendar.

BBQ and Boules. A lovely afternoon was had here at Hollyfields in our garden. Enjoying the outdoors, but most of all, enjoying the company and good food. 

Our residents enjoy getting out in the sunshine and making memories with other residents. 

At Ritson Lodge we support and encourage our residents to continue doing the things they love whilst also making new friends and developing new skills.

We hold a regular Knit and Natter club at Ritson lodge the second and last Thursday of every month...the Yarmouth Bombers come along to lend a helping hand and even our Head of Maintenance got to join in.

Ensuring that we host events that relatives and friends can join is very important to us here at Ritson Lodge.

At Bryn Ivor Lodge, we marked World Chocolate Day with a delicious week of fun, learning, and celebration! From handmade Wonka bars to themed quizzes and games, the home was filled with sweet joy and nostalgia.

To kick things off, residents were treated to their very own Wonka bars—because what better way to honour Cardiff’s very own Roald Dahl on such a special day? Our lounge was transformed with golden wrappers, colourful displays, and smiles all around as everyone got into the chocolate-loving spirit.

We continued the celebration with a lively World Chocolate Day quiz, diving into the history of chocolate and its journey to Europe in 1550. Residents loved testing their knowledge, waving Swiss flags, and reminiscing over vintage confectionery ads. The room buzzed with laughter and friendly competition.

The festivities wrapped up with a brilliant game of Wonka Bingo, complete with the beloved soundtrack from the 1971 film Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It was a wonderful way to end a fun-filled week, with everyone joining in on the music, laughter, and, of course, a bit more chocolate.

It truly was a golden-ticket kind of celebration—one we won’t soon forget!

Father’s Day at Bryn Ivor Lodge was an emotional and deeply touching celebration that brought our community together in a truly special way. One of the highlights was a unique and meaningful display—a hand-sewn jacket created by our very activities assistant in memory of her beloved father.

The jacket, crafted during the pandemic, holds a powerful story. Cynthia lovingly stitched it using her late father’s ties—each one representing his personality and the life he lived. She shared, “My Dad always wore a tie, every single day of his life. He was the Best Dad Ever. I wanted to show everyone he’s still with us, even now, and celebrate Father’s Day in his spirit.”

The jacket stirred a wave of emotions across residents, staff, and visitors alike. Laughter, tears, shared stories filled the home, creating a day of genuine connection and remembrance. It sparked conversations, evoked memories, and honoured not only Cynthia’s father but all the wonderful dads we’ve known and loved.

This beautiful tribute reminded us that love continues to live on in the memories we hold—and sometimes, even in the jackets we make.

On the 6th of June, we came together to honour the heroes of D-Day with a truly memorable celebration. Residents, staff, and friends gathered for a day steeped in remembrance, music, and heartfelt connection. The atmosphere was rich with nostalgia as our talented singer filled the room with the sounds of classic wartime songs, stirring emotions and inviting all to sing along. These shared moments created a powerful sense of unity and reflection.

To mark the occasion, our wonderful kitchen team prepared a traditional treat of strawberries and cream—simple, elegant, and perfectly in keeping with the spirit of the day. As everyone enjoyed the sweet refreshments, conversations blossomed, memories were shared, and new friendships were kindled.

This special event was more than just a commemoration—it was a vibrant expression of togetherness. Through music, storytelling, and shared experiences, we paid tribute to those who served while strengthening the bonds within our community. The true essence of the day was not just in remembering the past, but in celebrating the spirit that carries us forward: resilience, gratitude, and unity.

The methods and mediums may change but the heart of live music - the communal joy, the shared emotions, the collective energy - remains untouched. 

We had the amazing Rob and Marc from Together In Musical Expression (T.I.M.E) back for another jamming session. 
Residents and staff came together in joyful musical expression. Laughter, rhythm and melody filled the room as everyone joined in - whether tapping along, singing, or simply soaking up the atmosphere. It was a beautiful reminder of the power of music to unite, uplift, and spark connection across all ages.

As we look to the future, one thing is clear: live music will continue to be a cherished.

At Derham House Animal therapy is one of the cornerstones of our life enrichment program and features regularly on our resident-led weekly activity planner.

Our Residents couldn't loved cuddling the cutest Kittens that they had ever seen. We have regular visits from all sorts of animals but our Residents thought these kittens were purrrrfect.

As one of the foundations of our Life Enrichment program, we know that animal therapy can help reduce blood pressure and improve overall cardiovascular health. 

National Senior Health and Fitness Day underscores the significance of maintaining physical and cognitive activity among older adults.  

David expertly engaged our residents in the session, culminating in a relaxing and calming environment.

Yesterday afternoon was delightful, marked by sunshine and the celebration of World Cocktail Day with a Cocktails & Canapés event. Chef Sarah's canapés were a resounding success, highly enjoyed by all attendees. 

It was lovely to see family around their loved ones enjoying a beer or mocktail. 

OUR OWN MOBILE LIBRARY 

Our wonderful residents have so many interests, hobbies, activities and creative things that they love to do here so we decided to add to the list..... it's a long list by having our very own mobile library.

It's already a huge success with our residents!

We love having this event here at Werrington Lodge, Michelle’s Animal Therapy, where the residents get to have cuddles with kittens, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, a chicken and a tortoise 12 animals visited us today. Staff also took the animals around the rooms for bed bound residents to be included in what is going on in the home around them, they really get a lot of enjoyment out of it also giving staff chance to have a cuddle or 2.

Michelle has been bringing her animals here to see us for at least 3 years that we know of and can see this being for many more years to come. 

A very popular activity residents have quite often grown up with animal/s of various kinds and this is a reminiscing activity where the residents will tell us all about the animals they have had; which is really lovely to hear and glad that activities bring the residents such joy, which is why we do what we do. 

Our residents were treated to an afternoon of classic 60's songs. Residents sang along to their favourite songs and some enjoyed dancing to rock n roll hits of the 1960's. 

Here at Westgate House we encourage physical and mental wellbeing, and what better way to stimulate our residents than with our regular entertainment sessions.

We have a varied activities plan that caters for all our residents, and our visiting entertainers are always a firm favourite.

Open Day and BBQ Party at Wimbledon Beaumont! Our residents and their families enjoyed a fun-filled BBQ with live entertainment, delicious food, and wonderful company.

We also held our Open Day and loved welcoming everyone through our doors. Thank you for being part of such a special day — we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did! We can't wait to see you and your friends again soon!

In light of it being English Wine week 21st – 29th June we held a Cheese and Wine evening at the home inviting members of the community who have been involved in projects we have under taken here at the home. It was a really successful evening, good networking and contacts were made, some we will be looking forward to making use of in these contacts in the future. 
We also had a few family members join us who also enjoyed talking to our guests from the community.

There was a variety of English wines and a lovely spread of different cheeses and nibbles laid on by our talented Kitchen Staff that our guests enjoyed.

The conversation and wine flowed throughout the evening and a very good evening was had by all. Thank you to all who came making it a lovely and worthwhile evening. 

On Friday 27th June to celebrate Armed Forces Day we were invited to the Veterans Breakfast Meeting at the WestRaven Community Café run the last Friday of the month. Residents loved it chatting to ex veterans they were able to reminisce of their times that they too served.

We were given a lovely warm welcome and the breakfast we were served made our eyes pop wow!!! It was good swilled down with a nice mug of tea. The residents ate really well whilst chatting with their new found friends, it was good for them to attend this as it was something they had an interest in and were able to contribute to the conversation making them feel involved in the community. The residents all said they thoroughly enjoyed the trip out, one telling his family the breakfast was beautiful which was fed back.

Thank you to Sharon and Gary who made it possible keep up the good work and we will be back.  

On National Picnic Day thankfully the weather was glorious, so on 17th June together with our sister home, Longueville Court we packed a picnic, the kites and some games and went off to Ferry Meadows with some of our lovely residents. It is good to join up with our sister homes as it is a good social event of the residents who quite often come into contact with each other on various different occasions.

It's lovely for the residents to get out in the fresh air and be part of the outside world again. They love it when people come over to speak to them and especially when they bring their dogs over to say hello, the residents get to have a cuddle which is always a bonus.

We had a lovely packed lunch provided by our kitchen staff, plenty of cold drinks which gave us the energy to fly our kite and also the sun cream imperative on such a day as this, although there was plenty of shade from the trees that the residents made good use of. A lovely day was had by all and the residents would like to do it again please and I bet with all that fresh air they slept well that night.  

Prioritising a future built on intergenerational relationships will enhance our communities by transferring essential information, creating a space where each generation feels understood and inspired, and providing opportunities for people to grow no matter what age they are.

Today, Tyspane Care Home Activities Team along with Michelle (Volunteer), Lee (Resident), and Emily (Work Placement) went shopping to seek out plants for Tyspane Care Home Community Garden in preparation for our Summer Fete on Sunday 13th July 2025 at 2.00pm.

Tyspane Care Home understands that there are some things that can’t be taught in school or by research; instead, you must walk through life to find answers. Those that have retired have gone through tough times, learned life lessons, and have grown from each unique experience to get where they are. Older adults can help young people develop their talents and knowledge and can advise on relationships and daily life conflicts. Importantly, their years of living give them an almost intangible ability to communicate and model social and emotional skills, and to help young people develop those key traits.

Furthermore, there is another side of interchanging information where the youth teach their elders. Age is just a number, and there is no hard stop on learning. Communicating, teaching, and taking the time to explain things are essential key factors for a sense of community. For example, younger generations are able to support those older with technology, and social trends because when they were growing up it became second nature to them.

So, it was wonderful to observe different generations this morning engaging in stimulating conversations, and sharing stories. Simply magical.

Michelle (Volunteer) stated, “I have really enjoyed myself, good company and good conversation.”

Emily (Work Placement) replied, “Fascinating morning.”

We have really enjoyed having the children of our local community school Queen Boudica visit us each week, and we will real miss them all over the summer break. Residents have had so much fun, and made some lovely friendships, which we are hoping to continue next term. 

We have done so many fun activities together, which have included Sports Day, Decorating biscuits, Karaoke, Barchester ‘Get Moving’ challenge, Gardening Club, Sharing stories, and a very competitive game of Bingo! A huge thankyou to all the children and Teachers for making these visits possible, we can’t wait to see you all soon.

What a fantastic day we had at Waterside Court’s Summer Fair –   

a true celebration of sunshine and community spirit!

The courtyard came alive with vibrant stalls showcasing local produce, handcrafted treasures, jewellery, charming garden ornaments, local honey etc – a little something for everyone. A huge thank you to all our wonderful stall holders who brought their magic and creativity to the day!

The incredibly talented Ellie from Mini Concerts lit up the afternoon with her dazzling performance of the "Summer of Love" Show, filling the air with music, nostalgia, and pure joy. Her voice had everyone swaying, singing, and dancing along – it truly was a showstopper!

The event was a beautiful mix of generations as members of the community joined our residents in laughter, conversation, and celebration.

And let’s not forget the excitement of Tombola – with many lucky winners going home with big smiles and fun prizes!

From dancing feet to happy hearts, Waterside Court’s Summer Fair was a day full of connection, creativity, and cheer. Here’s to more days like this – where memories are made, friendships bloom, and joy is shared by all!