Celebrating life at Barchester

Celebrations have been in full swing as one of our residents reached her centenary in style.

Beryl was joined by staff, relatives, friends and other residents as she received a telegram from the King in recognition of her landmark birthday. A champagne reception was held at the home and guests enjoyed a special birthday cake made by the home’s chef.

Beryl was Born in Hounslow on the 29/01/1926, Middlesex and moved to south sea when she was 5 years old. Beryl met her husband at 18 years old during the war when she started work at the government war office. Beryl enjoys sharing stories about her life and listening to others. Beryl use to be a member of the WI after retirement and also use to play tennis at Water-low Park and use to enjoy swimming

Our residents recently enjoyed a wonderful day trip to St Fagans National Museum of History, travelling together on our minibus for a memorable outing. The visit offered a fantastic opportunity to explore Welsh heritage, beautiful historic buildings and engaging exhibitions in a relaxed and accessible setting. There were smiles all around as residents shared stories, asked questions and took in the surroundings at their own pace. The museum staff were incredibly welcoming and supportive, helping to make the day smooth and enjoyable for everyone. Trips like these are an important part of life at Bryn Ivor Lodge, promoting wellbeing, companionship and meaningful experiences.

During February, we had a great few days at Kirkburn competing in our very own Winter Olympics. Residents and staff competed in four main events – the bobsleigh, curling, hockey and snowball slam. It was so great to see everyone working together, but with some fierce competition at times also!

These events have encouraged everyone to get all parts of the body moving and have also worked on our coordination and timing.
Medals were awarded as follows:
Snowball Slam - Gold (John), Silver (Kathleen), Bronze (Ailsa)
Hockey - Gold (Robert), Silver (Jack), Bronze (Helen)
Curling - Gold (Georgie), Silver (Ina), Bronze (Mabel)
Bobsleigh - Gold (Team Teenie), Silver (Team Kirkburn), Bronze (Team Timbuktu)

A huge well done to all our competitors.      

What a brilliant morning our residents have had! From the moment the sun came up, there was a lovely sense of anticipation in the air, for good reason. This morning we were treated to a visit from Reggie the Therapet Dog, and as always, he worked his magic. It’s incredible to see our residents’ faces light up as soon as he trots through the door. 

He brings so much comfort, calm and pure happiness, creating a space where everyone feels just a little lighter and a little more at ease. 

To celebrate National Pizza Day, we had a lovely visit from Westfield Primary School and spent time decorating yummy pizzas together, ready for residents to enjoy for tea! 

It was such a special time, full of conversation, helping each other, and lots of smiles all round. Moments like these really show the joy of coming together.          

Exercise feeds the body and soul.

We firmly believe that here at Silverbirch House, today our residents took part in a chair yoga session.  

Movement and exercise play a vital role in our life enrichment programme.     

We had the pleasure of visiting Warner for an incredible factory tour with the brilliant Michael Warner and what an experience it was!

A huge thank you to Michael for taking the time to show us around and talk us through the whole printing process. From the initial design stages right through to the finished product rolling off the press, it was fascinating to see the level of precision, technology and teamwork involved. We loved learning about how everything comes together behind the scenes to create such high-quality print. It was an inspiring and insightful visit, and we’re so grateful for the warm welcome and hospitality. 

Thank you again, Michael and everyone at Warners, we had a brilliant time!        

Tennyson Wharf regularly welcomes Darwen the Falabella therapy pony to the home. This last visit was made even more special as Darwen accompanied his younger brother, Faberge, for his very first therapy visits to a care home.

Both ponies are owned and rigorously trained by Brenda Depear who is a licensed substance abuse and rehabilitation counsellor who also specializes in traumatic brain injuries and Dementia care. The ponies provide comfort and support to all of her clients and love visiting care homes.