Activities at Strachan House Care Home

We had a lovely time joining Angela Cobbin for a theatre-inspired virtual talk about her book ‘My Name is Not Wigs’.  ‘My Name Is Not Wigs’ is the ultimate read for fans of witty behind-the-curtains memoirs, especially those with a penchant for the bright lights of stage and screen: tears and accolades aplenty!                                                                                                   

Angela shared interesting facts with our residents about her book, her life and her experiences as a wig creator in London’s West End in celebration of World Theatre Day.

Residents and staff at Strachan House Care Home celebrated all things Irish for St Patrick’s Day this week. The home was decorated with shamrocks and everyone dressed in green to mark the day.

Held on March 17th, Saint Patrick's Day actually observes the death of St Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland, but the day has come to be a huge celebration of Irish heritage and culture.

Staff and residents at the home marked the day by making Rainbow decorations, learning some Irish words and phrases, learning Irish dances, going on a virtual tour of Ireland, listening to Irish music. We also had an Irish quiz. In the evening we held our own Irish ceilidh with music from Jack High our fabulous entertainer . We made special themed cocktails with our shamrock surprise and a leprechaun delight went down a treat. Our Head chef Paul Dows prepared a fantastic Irish spread with his famous Irish stew with soda bread

Our gentlemen here at Strachan House enjoyed a morning of song and reminiscing when the singing barber put in an appearance, the gentlemen enjoyed their pamper as hair was cut, beards and moustaches tamed before sitting back to enjoy a cup of tea and a slice of home-made cake.

The first day of March was busy as we marked not only St David’s Fay but also Pancake Day. Pancake Day or Shove Tuesday is the traditional feast day before the Lent on Ash Wednesday.   Our residents had a wonderful day, filled with pancake-inspired activities, they prepared homemade pancakes and decorated them with fresh fruit, berries, syrup and chocolate.  We watched some hilarious pancake races and some of our residents took part in our very own pancake flipping competition.   It was a fun day, enjoyed by all.

We were treated to an amazing live virtual talk and a tour of Cliveden, hosted by the house and chapel guides from the National Trust Talks Service.

The volunteers kindly gave us a tour around the famous house taking an in-depth look at Cliveden’s many stories from its 350 year history, from devilish dukes to scandalous headlines and boundary-breaking garden designs to political notoriety.

Starting with the Duke of Buckingham who built the first house in 1666, our residents met the key owners who helped shape the house and its gardens including the Orkney, Sutherland and Astor families.

The talk was accompanied by an illustrated presentation which brought to life these individuals and showed how their influence at Cliveden still continues today.

We had a fabulous time joining NESCAFÉ’s virtual coffee experience.

We were able to look into how they sustainably farm their coffee beans, as well as, to have a virtual tour of one of their factories all from the comfort of our home.

To make things even more interesting, our residents had the chance to test their knowledge with an interactive quiz, and to the delight of all to taste the signature Sweet Cinnamon Shaken Iced Coffee cocktail.