Activities at Alice Grange Care Home

You can take the girls out of London, but you can't take London out of the girls. Lilly and Pat have formed a friendship, with Pat visiting for respite several times a year and joining us each week at our community coffee morning, while Lilly is a permanent resident.

They often talk about their upbringing, roots, and growing up in London. They talk about "Proper Grub" as they put it, and when a shop opened up in Ipswich serving traditional food, sharing that same sense of pride, letting others experience the food and the culture just as it should be – straight from the heart of London to their plate.

Today, we headed out to T's Traditional for both Lilly and Pat to enjoy this much-loved Cockney Classic. Lilly's Son also joined us, making it a real family affair. The journey back was a quiz on the A-Z of Cockney Rhyming slang.

We visit Felixstowe many times a year, and many of our residents have expressed interest in going on The View, also known as the Felixstowe Eye. 

Today, being our resident ambassador's birthday, we headed out to Felixstowe, and their wishes came true. The View was absolutely amazing, looking out to the Port of Felixstowe, the largest and busiest port in the UK.

We enjoyed a Fish and Chip lunch, and as the residents said, you can't beat eating Fish and Chips out of the paper, by the sea. We returned to enjoy a delicious cake made by our Chef for our birthday girl.

We started our day with a trip out to Ipswich Cenotaph to commemorate the 80th anniversary of VJ Day.
Then in the afternoon, we had Jayne Katrine singer/vocalist join us, singing all the songs that were popular throughout WWII.

We encourage all schools and nurseries to visit us and for us to visit them.

Today, we welcomed the children from The Roundabout Nursery to join us for some singing and story time.
Our residents really enjoyed reading to the children and the intergenerational link is so important, it highlights the connection and interactions between age groups of different generations.      

Today we headed out on our new minibus to Friday Street Farm Shop & Kitchen to go strawberry picking. 

It was so nice to be able to pick the strawberries and take them back for all to share.

Today we had the privilege of meeting 8-week-old Molly. Molly will be our new therapy dog once she is older and has been through all her assessments to meet the grade. She will take over from Bailey, who is at the grand age of 11 1/2 years old and is getting to the stage of putting her paws up.

Therapy Dogs Nationwide is a national charity where volunteers take their dogs into establishments to provide comfort, distraction, and stimulation.

Molly will visit alongside Bailey with their owners, Jools and Mike, who are also our lovely volunteers at Alice Grange.       

We had a very informative talk from one of the volunteers at Woodbridge Long Shed, where they have been making a replica of the Anglo-Saxon Ship, which was discovered in 1939.

The ship itself was made of oak, and the construction is made of the same by the Sutton Hoo Ships Company.

Our residents cooled off with a lovely ice cream, looking out on the beautiful River Deben.  

Patrick Spencer MP and Debbie McCallum, District Councillor, visited us at our weekly coffee morning, having a tour of our home and speaking to residents about their life at Alice Grange.  

Today was our culture day, during which we celebrate a different culture each month. Many of our staff members are from the Philippines, and our residents have really enjoyed learning about their culture, beliefs, and the meaning behind their flag as well as wearing traditional costumes.

There was live entertainment by a brother and sister duo from Star Entertainment.

New resident, Ivy, who is 101, got up for a little dance and Ted had his jazz hands in motion. There was plenty of hand-jiving going on, which was fun for all residents to join in on.

Our open day was a hive of activity with families visiting as well as people from the community. Who could see just how much fun it is to live life to the full at Alice Grange with live entertainment and plenty of dancing?

We were not going to be beaten by the heat, as we cooled down with Ice Lollies.

When residents asked if they could go to the theatre to see a musical.

The wheels were put in motion, and when the Riverside Musical Theatre Company put on Sister Act, tickets were purchased, and the ladies counted down the days until the big day arrived.

What an absolute delight to meet some of the cast following the show, and what an amazing because they were raising money for this year: The Alzheimer's Society.

Held every year on 21st May, World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development celebrates the richness of the world's cultures and the essential role of intercultural dialogue in achieving peace and sustainable development.

We have many cultures in our home and are proud to be part of a multicultural and diverse team. Staff, many wearing traditional costumes, joined together to give talks on their own culture.   

Springing into action as we headed out on the mini-bus to choose plants and seeds for our garden and then returning and sowing the seeds and potting up the plants.

There is nothing quite like residents choosing plants to enrich their lives by giving them the choice of what they would like to see and have in their garden.  

A day to remember, reflect, and give thanks. On May 8th, 1945, the war in Europe ended and Britain erupted in celebration. Crowds filled the streets, bunting flew high, and voices rang out in song and cheer.
We had our second celebration of the week to mark the occasion.

After watching the service from Westminster Abbey. We had an afternoon of entertainment. Andy Ottley sang all the great hits and the day was filled with them. Red, White and Blue. Lest we forget. 

Each month we celebrate a different culture. 

Our residents enjoy all things American with an American-themed lunch and an afternoon of rhythm and blues which originated in the 1940's within the African American communities and evolved from all styles of African American music, including blues, jazz and gospel.