Activities at Hilton Park Care Home

With the recent warm weather, the Hilton Park team decided to visit Milton Country Park for a picnic by the lake. We enjoyed the beautiful scenery, watching the ducks and fish, feeling the cool breeze, and listening to the birds. Our team brought their own table, teacups, tea, biscuits, and cakes for the residents to enjoy.

A huge thank you to our Maintenance staff member, Alin, who happily drove our minibus. It was a wonderful team effort to make our residents happy, especially our 104-year-old Dorothy, who was overjoyed. Dorothy made everyone laugh by saying, "I can't swim, but my son Jeffrey can."

We had a great day on Saturday when we hosted our Classic Car Show, creating a heartwarming and memorable afternoon for residents, staff, relatives, and local motoring enthusiasts. The event, held within our scenic grounds, featured an array of classic and vintage vehicles, live music and a delightful atmosphere that brought joy to all attendees.

One of the highlights of the event was the surprise appearance of Toni, a valued business partner and long-time friend of resident Gillian Fry, aged 92. Toni arrived in his 1972 Ford Cortina 2000GT, proudly bearing the family name registration “FRY 925L.” This car, a symbol of their shared history, brought Gillian to the verge of tears as it evoked cherished memories of her late husband and their business, Fry Scales Company, which has been operating since 1935.

Gill expressed her heartfelt emotions, saying, "I was surprised. It brought back so many memories. I felt so important. Toni started as an apprentice with us in 1974 when he was just 18 years old. He’s like our adopted son as we don’t have children. He’s doing so well, and I’m so proud of him. Thank you so much to the Hilton Park team for organizing this event once again this year. You are all amazing."

Richard, a resident of Hilton Park originally from Exning, previously owned a hat shop in Cambridge's Trinity Street before moving to Hilton Park. Besides managing his shop, Richard's favourite pastime has always been fishing after his working hours.

Following his heart surgery and full recovery, Richard is now able to hold a fishing rod again. He has spent half of his life fishing around Cambridgeshire in all seasons and has been longing to fish once more.

With the support of the Hilton Park team, especially our activities team, Richard was taken to the Waterbeach Angling Fishing Club. This initiative aims to support residents in pursuing their hobbies and maintaining a sense of normality in Hilton Park. Richard was over the moon catching fish, identifying the various species, and chatting with the volunteers at the Angling Fishing Club.

Richard expressed his gratitude by saying, "Thank you ever so much. I really appreciate this, I really do. Spending time with me here for a couple of hours is not easy, but here you are'.

As part of the 'Get Barchester Moving' week for Barchester's Charitable Foundation, Denis, the Home Services Advisor at Hilton Park took up the challenge with a 50km exercise bike ride.

Cheered on by the residents, he completed the challenge in just under 90 minutes and his reward was a big bowl of ice cream.

Well done Denis 👏

We held our first coffee morning at All Saints Church in Newmarket, bringing along a few of our interested residents. The turnout was excellent, and residents from Hilton Park enjoyed meeting local people and sharing stories.

Richard, originally from Exning Road, recalled his teenage years visiting various pubs in Newmarket. Irish explored the church, focusing on the stained glass windows.

We all enjoyed our tea, cakes, and sing-alongs chosen by the attendees, along with a short story about the church.

Thank you to everyone involved. We look forward to seeing you all next month.

We have had another special trip to Scotsdales Nursery and Garden Centre Ltd , reminiscing about the place where one of our residents, Irish, used to visit. Irish lived in Lode, Bottisham, and spent a lot of time at Scotsdales having coffee with friends, looking around for seasonal items, and of course, shopping – just like she does today. Irish said, "Thank you for this wonderful surprise, it has brightened my day."

Another one of our resident's, Brian, added, "I'm partially blind, but I can see the shadows of the flowers and smell them. I'm going home soon, but I will remember all I've done during my stay. I'll be back for sure."

We all had a wonderful time exploring the garden centre, noting every detail of the plants with Richard, who loves gardening.