Activities at Thistle Hill Care Home

Staff and residents at the Thistle Hill Care Centre in Knaresborough invited family, friends and local community groups to join them to celebrate the Big Jubilee Lunch on Sunday 5 June.

The Big Lunch was first created in 2009 to encourage communities to get to know each other better and it is an initiative that the Thistle Hill Care Centre has taken part in several times before.  This year the home wanted to go bigger and better to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee.  Head chef Paul Drinkel came up with the Big Jubilee Lunch menu featuring steak and lobster and everyone got busy making decorations to make sure the home and garden looked their absolute best.

The afternoon was a huge success with a visiting face paint artist, two musicians, a surprise visit from Milo the pony and our first ever horse race featuring horse space hoppers!   Everyone had a brilliant time joining in with the fun and all the guests agreed the food was an absolute triumph! There were even Jubilee-themed cocktails and mocktails to add to the festivities.

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.

A couple from the Thistle Hill Care Centre, in Knaresborough have celebrated their Blue Sapphire wedding anniversary and 65 years of marriage.  Henry and Bella met in the dinner queue whilst working in the Munitions Factory at Thorp Arch.

Henry tapped Bella on the arm and told her he was taking her out, Bella said even though it was love at first sight she said ‘no’ to Henry, but Bella’s friend Irene persuaded her to give Henry a chance.

They were later married at the Knaresborough registry office on May 18th in 1957 and have enjoyed 65 years of marriage, with four children, six grandchildren and even great grandchildren and great, great grandchildren.

Henry and Bella’s family joined them in celebrating the couple’s special anniversary. The home arranged dinner party for the family featuring Cava, Sherry and Cake

It was a day of fun-filled tastings for the staff and residents at the Thistle Hill Care Centre in Knaresborough. To mark the day, residents had so much fun taking part in a cocktail making masterclass, before enjoying a musical performance by home favourite singer Rochelle Ayris performing a variety of hits including songs by Elvis Presley and the Rat Pack, all whilst enjoying a few cocktails themselves.

The Thistle Hill Care Centre in Knaresborough marked the anniversary of Victory in Europe Day in style by throwing a 1940s tea party to remember.  The home was decorated in red, white and blue and staff dressed up in their 1940s-inspired glad rags and enjoyed an afternoon of big band music and dancing.

Home Chef Katherine whipped up a delicious selection of freshly-baked biscuits, sandwiches, cakes and pastries for the occasion, all washed down with pots of tea and a celebratory glass of fizz to mark the occasion. 

Our residents at Thistle Hill were treated to an hour in the company of Henry Slator, author of ‘Conversations at the Pond’, who shared his unusual writing journey with them all. Residents heard how Henry Slator, who lives in Cornwall and has been a part-time writer for 35+ years, is fascinated by nature and can be regularly found out and about with his most treasured possession - his binoculars. Getting lost in his imagination and looking for the bright side in life have always been hugely important to Henry. Residents were also treated to a special book reading of ‘Conversations at the Pond’ by our own beautiful pond, complete with our own animal friends.