Activities at Oxford Beaumont Care Community

On the 3rd of August residents, family and friends united for an annual summer BBQ. The aim of the event was for everyone to have a relaxed and enjoyable day with great food, to have fun as well as to raise money for our two chosen charities: Children’s Air Ambulance and Eynsham Rotary Club.

There were many stalls, activities and games, including cake stall, tombola, name the bear, craft stall with homemade products, hook a duck, the balloons in the mini-bus, raffle, bubble stall, sand pit  and a wet sponge game.

People from all ages attended the event and enjoyed a buffet style BBQ with burgers, hot dogs, lamb, crispy chicken and sides. There was a special guest, Kevin Reed, our local singer and musician. The event was very successful and we managed to raise more than £400 for the charities. 

We would like to thank all staff, residents, families and volunteers for the support given to organise this summer event. 

On a warm, but drizzling day, we visited the very popular and well known antique café: ‘The Old Flight house’, situated on the Northampton Road, Weston-on-the-Green, just ten minutes from Bicester Village.

The atmosphere was very welcoming and staff members smiling at us. We enjoyed the cabinets full to the brim with elegant jewellery, that took us back in time. We were all stunned by the variety of antiques and shabby chic furniture on display. In the light and spacious interior, over 70 owners have their themed units.

One unit displayed items from an era of using the outhouse for clothes washing, with a cooper boiler, lit underneath with kindling wood, then fed with coal. Many interesting items were exhibited.

Nancy, one of our Oxford Beaumont's family, gave us in depth information of how a washing day was planned out. Nancy explained: 'It took place on a Monday or Tuesday and was a laborious job, often taking all day. In the 1950’s Carbolic soap was used for men’s working clothes, or sunlight soap for your general everyday clothes in the form of a bar and grated to the water.

A washboard was used to rub clothes against the ridged surface to force the cleansing fluid through the cloth and so remove the dirt. When items were washed in the cooper boiler they were lifted out using a ‘’copper stick’’ and transferred into a metal laundry container to be rinsed out with cold water by hand. Then you either rung by hand or if you were privileged enough, you may have owned a mangle to pass the clothes through. It was then a matter of drying outside or having to put up lines of string across the room. A process that would astound people of today.'

We all had coffee and cake as the conversation continued. There were many other items that engaged everyone’s interest from antique teddy bear’s bringing back childhood memories to clothing items.

After a stroll around the garden area, we returned back to Oxford Beaumont to had a wonderful lunch prepared by our Chef and his amazing team.

It was a privilege and honour for us to be able to invite ‘Snowflake Books’ into our wonderful establishment to celebrate the ‘Chinese Boat Festival’. The session at Oxford Beaumont Community, was very informative and gave us lots of facts about the Chinese culture.

It began with a traditional Chinese story and continued with ladies and gentlemen enjoying the traditional beautiful puppets. Calamus and wormwood were handed round, these are two herbs against bad luck and diseases. Usually hung on door frames, but can also be worn around the neck for aroma. Additionally, our guests showed us a five-colour string bracelet, customised for the Dragon Boat Festival and containing the lucky colours green, red, white, black and yellow.

The community joined in playing rattle drums, as they played the magnificent colourful dragon was taken around the home to display. The dragon is a symbol of power, strength and luck. Everyone remarked how beautiful it was.

The session was very diverse, but the highlight was that every individual was presented with a painting or picture, which has been created by a child, who lives in Taiwan and sent over via the post. A lovely short film has also been produced, showing the children speaking to our community about their lifestyle. This was such a thoughtful idea and really brought smiles to all.

To show appreciation the residents wrote ‘Thank You’ notes and one gentleman sent over a photo of his dog.

We would really like to thank ‘Snowflake Books’ for all their hard work and for this lovely afternoon.

Staff and residents had a lovely trip to Abingdon-on-Thames. They gathered their picnic baskets and took in all the natural beauty of the area, which included lots of wildlife and fields full of colour. There was grapeseed growing and various other flowers, trees and beautiful architecture framing the picturesque portrait that is Abingdon-on-Thames.

When arriving at their final destination, the group took a steady walk along the river, where they enjoyed the riverside view, including the annual dragon boat racing and ‘bun’ throwing.

They also witnessed a grey heron sat in the shade under a weeping willow tree, ready to pounce for his prey in the river.

The day continued with a nice conversation about the “good old days” and an enjoyable talk with the local people.

It was a pleasurable few hours for all involved.

All residents from Oxford Beaumont Home had an amazing Easter celebration. The Easter Church Service at the Oxford Beaumont community, including family and friends, gathered together and enjoyed reading of scripture, verses, psalms and Holy Communion. This was followed by refreshments and Easter eggs. Many people joined in with Easter themed baking crafts, decorated eggs for the Easter Tree, and of course the traditional Easter Bonnets. Staff showed their competitive side by participating in egg and spoon races around the home, bringing laughter to all. The ‘Incredible Eggs’ visited the home and provided a ‘hatching kit’, and chick eggs to celebrate ‘New Life’. The eggs were nurtured by staff providing an interesting activity for the community. All generations were delighted to see a birth of a first chick.

Residents enjoyed our recent sunny weather whilst being entertained by Christopher Simms.