Activities at Rivermead Care Home

Our homes had a lovely time joining Sue and Nicole from Ferndown Florist for an intriguing flower arrangement workshop in celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Our residents enjoyed a wonderful virtual demonstration and got inspired to create their own flower posies for our Jubilee displays.  Our home will be specially decorated for the upcoming festivities. Stay tuned.

For todays lunch club we went to Ham and Cheese Pub accompanied by Brenda, Betty and Andy.  We once again had the biggest fish and chips ever! Our residents are very fond of our pub lunches.

A special church celebration of the Queen’s Jubilee was held yesterday at St. Peter’s Church in Norton Malton, and Rivermead residents were invited the service and then to partake in a truly royal tea party in the church.

Our minibus was full with residents from both our Westow and Malton communities, and there was a feeling of excitement as we walked slowly into the beautifully decorated church. Colourful pictures on the walls had been created by pupils at Norton Community Primary School. Bunting was hanging from the pillars and near the altar a brass band was setting up. The church was filling rapidly as we settled near the front, and then Reverend Jenny Buckler (who visits Rivermead monthly) welcomed us to a special service comprising the Queen’s favourite hymns, some with brass accompaniment! Her favourites included Praise My Soul The King of Heaven, The Lord’s My Shepherd, All People That on Earth Do Dwell, and Guide Me Oh Thou Great Redeemer. ‘These are the really good old hymns, aren’t they,’ said Brenda enthusiastically. ’Yes, we all know these!’ agreed Lena. The service ended with The National Anthem, but there was more to come: beyond the pews were many tables laden with scones, cream and jam, flapjacks and cakes of all kinds. Soon the residents and Norton churchgoers were sitting and tucking in to this right royal tea party! ‘It is marvellous to be back in church,’ said Richard.

After days of preparation and growing excitement among residents and staff – not to mention across the entire nation! – the big day came at Rivermead. After the maintenance team had prepared the garden, and the domestic team had polished and scrubbed the home to ‘as new’ condition, the residents were delighted to be getting into their best bib and tucker. Hats had been made, Union Jacks were flying, bunting was displayed indoors and out, and in the kitchens chef Sarah and her team were hulling strawberries and making enormous quantities of Pimms!

Rivermead Care Home in Malton marked the anniversary of Victory in Europe Day in style by throwing a 1940s afternoon tea party to remember.  The home was decorated in red, white and blue and residents and staff dressed up in their 1940s-inspired glad rags and enjoyed a day of reminiscing with a sherry morning and an afternoon showing of the 1987 film “Hope and Glory”.

Head chef Sarah Lightfoot whipped up a delicious 1940’s inspired selection of cakes and jam tarts, all washed down with pots of tea to mark the occasion. 

Sarah Jackson, General Manager at Rivermead said: “Many of our residents can remember the end of the war and we all know what it meant for our country so we wanted to celebrate the date and listen to our residents memories of the war and the experiences they lived through.”

We had a lovely time joining Graham Whitlock for an exciting virtual event to discuss his book ‘The Crystal Palace Chronicles: Star of Nimrod’.

Our residents were thrilled to find out more about the book and the fictional character Joe, who went on a rollercoaster adventure travelling back in time to the heyday of Victorian Crystal Palace.

Everyone had lots of fun during the virtual talk, as Graham took them on a clever and hilarious adventure. A great time was had by all.