Celebrating life at Barchester

Residents from Atfield House enjoyed a lovely afternoon together at Pembroke Lodge in Richmond Park. The weather was just right for this occasion and everyone enjoyed the warm wind, and the views were beautiful! We chatted along, as we enjoyed cakes and drinks together, looking over the valley, watching the planes go by and keeping the wild life at bay, who would have liked to have a taste of our cake too!

We spotted a lovely butterfly around the corner by the flower beds on our walk back to the mini- van. It sat there so long, that we could almost touch it. Our residents shared the experiences with us, they had in Richmond Park, as we strolled through the garden grounds. Truly this place holds special memories of moments shared with loved ones many years ago. That is why these outings to these places are so special! 

Everyone enjoyed the afternoon and we are looking forward to the next outing already!

Here at Cookridge Court we like to focus on resident well being, and for many of our residents being able to give back to the community helps bring meaning and fulfilment to their daily lives. Betty recently shared with us that she would like to help with daily chores that she used to do at home, so of course we sprang into action to make this happen for her. Betty can now be found in her very own pinny every morning, clearing the breakfast tables and doing the washing up with host Lexie.

Days at Cookridge Court usually begin with an exercise class to get everyone moving. Residents can choose from a huge variety of fitness opportunities from chair based exercise, through yoga, music and movement and even boxing! As you can clearly see from his expert stance, Mr R was a keen boxer in his National Service days, and he thoroughly enjoyed some gentle sparring with coach Zac.

Residents, relatives, and staff came together to celebrate Indian Independence Day.

We all tried different Indian dishes, and watched documentaries on India’s history, and listened to some Indian music. 

All our residents had a wonderful time, and enjoyed celebrating this wonderful day.

Anna & Lin from St Peters Church joined us for a creative activity inspired by God’s Net Of Love. Together, we made a colourful net and fish scene with everyone getting involved and sharing their creativity. A lovely way to spend time together, reflect on the meaning behind the activity and enjoy some fun along the way.

Drummond Grange was transformed into our very own little corner of the Edinburgh Fringe as residents, relatives, friends and team members came together for an afternoon of music, laughter, incredible performances and plenty of dancing!

We kicked things off in spectacular style with the brilliant Hoop Babes, bringing an amazing cabaret performance full of acrobatics, comedy and a little audience participation! Our very brave volunteers certainly gave everyone something to laugh about! Then it was time for our fabulous main act, Lady Phoenix, who brought Fringe Care Fest home with a powerhouse performance that had the whole room singing, dancing and celebrating together!

From dancing and conga lines to cocktails, questionable audience participation and a lounge absolutely packed with smiling faces, the atmosphere was incredible.

A huge thank you to the entire Drummond Grange team who helped make the day possible — from setting up, to supporting residents to joining in the fun, keeping everyone refreshed and embracing the wonderful chaos!

Events like this really are a whole-home effort. Thank you as well to all the families and friends who joined us and, of course, to our amazing residents who threw themselves into Fringe Care Fest and made the day what it was.

And finally, a massive thank you to Hoop Babes and Lady Phoenix and the Fringe Care Fest team for bringing a little piece of the Fringe right into our home.

Who says you have to go into Edinburgh to experience the Fringe?

This month we returned to the Dementia Café with the Erskine Veterans and Roger’s Café at Gilmerton Community Centre.  We enjoyed celebrating Scotland with tartan crafts, singing along to Scottish favourites and a Scottish picture quiz. There was plenty of good food, laughter and lovely conversations, making it a wonderful afternoon together. This monthly trip continues to be a highlight for our Dalhousie suite.

We welcomed Drummond’s Favourite DJ back to the home with another action packed performance full of “visitors” and comedy sprinkled throughout. DJ Hilly wowed us with his best Elvis impression and several other characters we look forward to welcoming him back next month.

We welcomed our local children to spend the afternoon with our residents for a teddy bear picnic.

The children enjoyed games in our garden and loved showing our residents their favourite teddies.

There was a picnic which we enjoyed on the grass, followed by games of pass the parcel filled with prizes which our residents lovingly wrapped for the children. Each of the children received goodie bags from our residents filled with treats.