Celebrating life at Barchester

All staff and residents had a fantastic time celebrating Easter here at Winchester House. The best thing that happened over the Easter holidays was, we had an amazing visit from a miniature Shetland pony called Gertie.

Gertie arrived in style with bows and flowers in her hair, looking gorgeous. We had families queuing up to say hello before she even entered the building. We slowly took Gertie around to meet our wonderful residents. Well, what can we say? Their faces lit up when they saw her, as they had never seen a pony visiting our home before. Their faces lit up with smiles and joy as she came round to say hello. She was loving and very gentle with our residents, as this was not her first rodeo.   

This was a first for us, and it definitely won't be the last, as we all had a great morning meeting Gertie and her owners.        

A fantastic atmosphere, great music, and even better company, it was a truly special occasion for everyone involved. We were delighted to welcome the Mayor, who joined our residents, families, and staff for a brilliant live performance from Rick Boxall Entertainer.

Perfectly capturing the spirit of our community, bringing people together, creating memories, and celebrating the joy that music can bring.       

A big thank you to Ricky for the fantastic entertainment, and to everyone who made the day so special. 

We had such a lovely time getting creative over Easter! 

Our residents enjoyed a visit from the Headcorn Guides and Rangers, who came in and crafted bonnets with us for our competition. Their support meant so much to our residents and made the day even more special.

It was a beautiful example of our community coming together, sharing smiles, and making memories that will last well beyond Easter.        

This week we presented Brenda with her resident ambassador badge. She was chosen for her support and kindness towards fellow residents and has taken to the role like a duck to water! Bill and Grace won our Easter bunny hunt around Church Stretton and were so excited about their large Easter Egg. 

We supported the Methodist Church on Wednesday afternoon for tea and chat and also visited the Dementia café.

We enjoyed the beautiful sunshine in the garden whilst it lasted. It’s been another busy week, and we are looking forward to lots more activities.   

Field House celebrated Aintree Ladies’ Race Day with a fun afternoon wearing our best hats and enjoying sweet treats and fizz. 

Fun and games and lots of laughter, Hilary wanted to join the party in her jockey costume, which made the afternoon with all the residents laughing about it through the evening.        

We had a wonderful time flower arranging with our residents, visitors, and our amazing volunteers

There’s nothing quite like a chat over refreshments while creating something beautiful to bring spring in to our home. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us.

We had a wonderful time on our latest minibus outing to Upton Country Park.

It was a joy to explore the gardens and admire all the vibrant flowers, with the wild primroses being a particular favourite for everyone!

We topped off the afternoon by soaking up the glorious sunshine with some delicious ice creams in the cafe’s courtyard.

A perfect day filled with fresh air, nature, and great company.

We took a scenic drive to Aunt Fanny’s Farmshop & Cafe, soaking up the sunshine and reminiscing as we passed through so many familiar towns.

We enjoyed delicious tea and cake while admiring the hundreds of teapots hanging from the ceiling! Such a lovely, nostalgic day.

We took a scenic drive to Aunt Fanny’s Farmshop & Cafe, soaking up the sunshine and reminiscing as we passed through so many familiar towns.

We enjoyed delicious tea and cake while admiring the hundreds of teapots hanging from the ceiling! Such a lovely, nostalgic day.