Celebrating life at Barchester

The residents had a wonderful time this morning listening to live music from the lovely Tristan!

As well as singing and playing guitar Tristan interacts very well with residents and asks them for any song requests, these ranged from Frank Sinatra, Dolly Parton and Elvis Presley, which he duly performed. Will and Mary, a popular couple in the home got up and started dancing.

And they’re off! We’ve had a brilliant afternoon here at Paternoster House for the Grand National. Our residents have been busy studying the form, picking their favourites, and cheering on the horses with a glass of fizz and some sweet treats. Congratulations to our Senior Carer Julie on her win.

In celebration of St Patrick's Day we had the pleasure of being entertained by the very talented tap dancer 'Ella’s care home dance entertainment' who truly wowed our residents!

Her performance was full of energy and skill, and it was amazing to watch the rhythm and movement – everyone thoroughly enjoyed it! You could see how much it lifted the room, with lots of smiles, clapping, and great feedback from our residents. It was a wonderful addition to our St Patrick’s Day celebrations and made the day even more special for everyone involved.

Residents and colleagues of Activities Assistant; Tricia Campbell wanted to congratulate her on receiving employee of the month for March 2026. Tricia has been instrumental in the implementation of the homes weekly 'Wellness Wednesdays'. She, alongside home manager Joanna together turn Claremont Parkway into a place of tranquillity every Wednesday, with Tricia providing foot spas and Joanna reflexology massages. 

The sessions are enjoyed by both residents and members of the local community looking for a moment of rest and relaxation. Deputy Manager; Chole had the pleasure of presenting Tricia with her certificate and bouquet thanking her for her continued service to the overall wellbeing and life enrichment of our residents.

What a wonderful afternoon here at Claremont Parkway on Friday 10th April we were delighted to host the Kettering branch of Parkinson's UK for a very special Afternoon Tea Party — celebrating an incredible 40 years of support, dedication, and community for those living with Parkinson's. What an achievement! 

Around 30 guests joined us for the occasion, with tickets kindly sold by Parkinson's UK Kettering to raise vital funds for their fantastic work. We were proud to provide the venue and food complimentarily as our small way of giving back to such a worthy cause.

We were also honoured to welcome the Mayor of Kettering, who attended to personally thank Parkinson's UK Kettering for their 40 years of incredible service, and took the time to meet with our residents and guests — a truly special touch to a memorable day.

The atmosphere was absolutely lovely — smiles all round, great conversation, and plenty of tea and treats. A huge congratulations to everyone at Parkinson's UK Kettering, here's to 40 more years!

This morning residents enjoyed the warm sunshine and fresh air as we ventured out in to our beautiful garden and looked at all the changes of the seasons as the new buds and leaves started to appear on the trees and plants.

Residents reminisced about the lovely times we had spent out there last summer doing various activities, not forgetting the choc ices and pimms we enjoyed. Getting outside is an important part of our residents well-being and we aim to do this a lot more especially now the weather is starting to improve.

Hot Cross Buns!

Today we sampled several flavours of hot cross buns, trying to guess the flavour as we did so. Our residents enjoyed the selection on offer and a lot decided that the Strawberry and Clotted Cream was the nicest, whilst others preferred the original hot cross bun and were totally unsure about a cheese hot cross bun which Activities Coordinator Karen assured them was rather nice toasted with a slice of bacon and a fried egg.

At Claremont on Thursday we had a visit from Dave with his amazing birds of prey which brought a sense of excitement and curiosity to the home, offering our residents a unique opportunity to connect with nature up close.

During the session, residents were introduced to a variety of magnificent birds, learning about their habitats, diets and natural behaviours Dave shared interesting facts in a clear and engaging way, allowing everyone to gain a better understanding of these amazing creatures.

We enjoyed looking at Crackerjack a white faced owl, plop the Barn owl, Esme a Merlin, Maverick the Peregrine, Boudicea a Gabar Goshawk, Zeus the Golden Eagle and just to confuse us we had the delight of meeting Norma the hedgehog!