Activities at Cepen Lodge Care Home

Our residents recently enjoyed a wonderful baking session with our talented Chef, marking an early and exciting start to our Easter preparations. The home was filled with delicious aromas as everyone got hands-on creating their own cupcakes, from mixing ingredients to decorating their sweet treats.

It was a truly engaging activity, with residents fully involved every step of the way, sharing tips and enjoying the process together. The session also sparked lovely conversations, with many reminiscing about baking with their children and family members when they were younger.

Moments like these are so meaningful, bringing back cherished memories while creating new ones. It was a joyful, interactive morning that left everyone smiling—and of course, with some delicious cupcakes to enjoy!

The beautiful dapple-gray therapy horse 'Vino' from Happy Hooves Equine Ltd - Equine Assisted Therapy & Transport always brings the biggest of smiles to our residents faces. He's so well-behaved, trotting from room to room giving out kisses and head snuggles. 

Our residents and staff adore him!

Birthday celebrations were in full swing all day to ensure Melvina marked her centenary in style. Joined by staff, relatives, friends and other residents she not only received a card from King Charles and Queen Camilla, Melvina was surprised to receive over 300 birthday cards from school children, and others unknown to her from across the UK, all sending their best wishes  in recognition of her landmark birthday.

The home organised a party with live entertainment from Mini Concerts and a lavish buffet of savoury snacks, sweet treats and fizz before guests enjoyed a slice of the special birthday cake made and decorated by the home’s Activities Coordinator; Anita.

Bristol born Melvina left school at 15 and spent her working life in various administrative roles, the last being with The Royal Mail in which she signed the Secrecy Act as it involved handling Home Office correspondence. At 23 years old Melvina married the love of her life Len, a Naval Officer who she met during an August Bank Holiday dance at Page Hall, when he ‘cut-in’ and became her dance partner for life!

Len and Melvina were blessed with a daughter, Karen who gave them a granddaughter Jennifer, who is married to Stephen and in turn have graced Melvina with two amazing great-grandchildren; Sienna and Harlow who light up her life on every visit.

As an additional surprise Melvina received a ‘Family History Binder’ from Kirsty Gray, Managing Director of Family Wise Limited who generously created Melvina’s family tree dating back to 1700’s!

The birthday girl, said: “I thought my birthday would be a quiet affair, spent with my family however Anita had other ideas.” When asked what she thought of the day Melvina replied “‘Fantastic’ there’s no other word for it”.

Our Baking Club was in full swing this week, and what a treat it was! The ladies worked together to bake a classic Victoria sponge, filling the home with the most wonderful smells.

From mixing and whisking to the all-important finishing touches, everyone played a part — and the final result was absolutely delicious. A lovely afternoon of teamwork, laughter, and of course… cake!

Resident; Jean loves it when the students from Hardenhuish School visit to chat. Sophie and Emily were a delight.  This sort of interaction is made possible through our close links with local schools, colleges and nurseries. Intergenerational activities are a cornerstone of our life enrichment program. 

Our Residents and their families enjoyed a wonderful Mother’s Day celebration here at Cepen Lodge, marked with a special afternoon tea party filled with delicious treats, laughter and lovely company. The lounge was beautifully set and everyone came together to celebrate the incredible mothers and mother figures in our home.

As a unique surprise our resident ladies were invited to take part in a pearl experience. Each person opened a shell to discover their very own pearl, before choosing a pendant and chain to place it in, creating a beautiful keepsake to remember the day.

The activity brought lots of excitement and smiles, making the celebration even more special. It was a truly memorable afternoon and a lovely way to show appreciation for the wonderful women in our community.

We had a wonderful time with our lovely residents during baking club. Each cookery session take place in the homes living kitchen and all bakes are created from scratch, with love and laughter! We certainly have 3 master chefs within the home, these fluffy cupcakes were a delight for everyone to enjoy with afternoon tea.

Ethan and Dan bring such joy when they visit from Hardenhuish School. These wonderful lads have been helping us create memory books full of interest for our Memory Lane community residents. The headwear was completely their choice but it certainly added a little more fun to the visit and added sparkle to each resident interaction!

We had a very special day out for our resident Philip when our activities team had the pleasure of taking him on a trip to Boscombe Down Aviation Collection for a special day exploring aircraft, and sharing stories from the past. 

The day was perfectly rounded off with a delicious lunch at the Stonehenge Inn - good food, great company, and plenty of smiles all around. Moments like these are what it’s all about, creating meaningful experiences, one trip at a time.

This morning our lovely residents; Veronica, Sheila and Jane gathered together with Anita to create some beautiful fresh flower displays in preparation for tomorrows Open Day.

They had a lovely time choosing which colourful bloom to place in a variety of containers. The sense of achievement in making something so beautiful and fragrant puts a smile on everyone’s face. Thank you, ladies, you all did a fabulous job. 

With the arrival of the warmer weather our residents have been delighted to begin preparing the garden for the months ahead. After a long winter, the recent spell of sunshine has provided the perfect opportunity to get outside, enjoy the fresh air and start our spring gardening.

Residents have been busy tidying flower beds, clearing away winter debris, and getting the soil ready for new plants and flowers. Gardening is always a much-loved activity and it has been wonderful to see everyone working together and enjoying the simple pleasure of being outdoors again. The garden is an important space for relaxation, socialising, and connecting with nature, so preparing it for the summer is something everyone looks forward to each year.

Spending time outside in the sunshine has also brought many smiles, with residents sharing stories, laughter, and memories while working side by side. These moments not only help keep the garden looking beautiful but also provide a great sense of achievement and wellbeing.

As spring continues, we look forward to planting colourful flowers and watching our garden slowly come to life. With a little care and plenty of sunshine, it will soon be a vibrant and welcoming space for everyone to enjoy throughout the summer.

Our residents have such fun during the Boogie Beat Music & Movement North Wiltshire playgroup sessions held at Cepen Lodge.
 
It was all bubbles and babbles as the children played happily, singing and dancing in intergenerational fun. Extra special for resident Jean as her granddaughter and great-granddaughter attended making her day truly magical!

Love was all around for our Valentine’s Day celebrations. Our home was filled with flowers, cards and balloons as we celebrated the day of love with sweet treats and thoughtful gifts to the sound of classic songs.

We marked the occasion by making cupcakes and a fabulous chocolate, cream and strawberry Valentine’s cake before enjoying a sing-along and boogie with Tony Meacock. It was a beautiful day and heart-warming to see everyone come together to celebrate.

Today we celebrated ‘Buddy Holly Day’ with the amazing Tony Meacock who, along with his guitar and sensational singing took us right back to the 50s!

‘Charles Hardin Holley, or Buddy Holly as he was better known, died tragically in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, aged just 22 along with fellow musicians, Ritchie Valens and J.P. Richardson.  He was a pioneering singer-songwriter, hailed as one of the greats of 1950’s American rock & roll, despite his short career.’

Tony did Buddy proud, and we loved every minute!

Did you know we have regular live events at our home? Recently one of our favourites; Tickled Pink Productions performed their ‘Cinderella’ panto for our residents. 

‘When you wish upon a star anything is possible, even with two horrible step sisters! With the help of the Fairy Godmother Cinderella shall go to the ball and meet her handsome, thigh slapping Prince Charming.

Scripted for all ages and abilities to enjoy, and performed in the comfort of our home the pantomime was a roaring success. Our memory lane residents were fully emersed in the story, with the room full or laughter, toe -tapping, tambourine jangling and song.