It has been a busy few weeks across Red Homes!
Between them, our three homes have hosted a Wild West fair, two traditional British seaside days, and more ice cream than anyone is willing to count. The sun mostly behaved itself, the gardens came into their own, and families, friends and neighbours came along to join in.
The Wild West comes to Red Roofs
Red Roofs went first, transforming the home into the Wild West for a Country and Western Summer Fair on 25th July. Around fifty residents, families and friends came along, and just about everyone arrived in costume.
The team’s finest touch was a set of personalised “Wanted” posters featuring the residents, which made for a brilliant display and a great deal of laughter. There were stocks, kindly lent by John Hunt School, and music from local musician Jules, whose hoedown got everyone up on their feet.
Among the guests was Seven, a miniature pony brought along by his owner Roy. Roy is a familiar face at Red Roofs, returning each Christmas to play Santa.
“I feel like one of the family when I attend,” he said.
The afternoon also raised £80 for the residents’ fund, which goes towards day trips and more days like this one.
A seaside day at Red Rose
Six days later, Red Rose brought the great British seaside to Farndon for its annual Seaside Day. This one is a much-loved fixture in the home’s calendar, and the team recreated the coast from start to finish, beginning with fish and chips and ending with a final singalong.
There were ice creams, candy floss, sticks of rock, freshly made sugar doughnuts, and mocktails to keep everyone refreshed. Singer Jayne Darling provided the entertainment, children played on a specially created beach while residents watched on, and Cupcake the pony, courtesy of Pet a Pony, made her way round for strokes and cuddles.
What we love most about this day is how many generations turn up for it. Children, grandchildren and residents all enjoyed it side by side. The team also made sure that residents who were less able to come downstairs had a seaside of their own, complete with a paddling pool, a sandpit, Hook-a-Duck and beach ball games, because nobody should miss out on a day like that.
The seaside reaches Red Court
Then, on 12th August, the seaside reached Red Court, brought there by Home Manager Joanne Brown. Having previously managed Red Rose, Joanne had seen for herself how much the day meant to residents, and she was keen to bring the idea across to her new home.
“I wanted to give our residents a really enjoyable day and bring back some of the memories associated with traditional seaside holidays,” Joanne said. “We’ve seen how much everyone enjoys Seaside Day at Red Rose, so I thought it would be lovely to do something similar here at Red Court.”
The garden was duly transformed with bunting, inflatable palm trees, flamingos and, for reasons nobody has fully explained, giant inflatable bananas. There was a sandpit with buckets and spades, Hook-a-Duck, a chip shop lunch and plenty of ice creams, with live entertainment from singer Vince Learoyd, who had residents singing along all afternoon.
With temperatures soaring, keeping everyone cool was the order of the day. A tropical drinks station did a roaring trade, sun hats were worn, and staff made sure the sun cream went round.
Why days like these matter
Days like these are good fun, and that alone would be reason enough. They also do something more. The sights, sounds, tastes and smells of a British seaside holiday have a way of unlocking memories: family holidays, trips to the coast, chips eaten on a promenade, sunny afternoons by the sea. Our residents spent as much of these days remembering as enjoying themselves, and the conversations carried on long after the bunting came down.
This is what we are after. New memories made, old ones brought back, and everybody together while it happens.
Thank you to everyone who helped make this summer such a good one, from Roy and Seven to Jayne Darling, Vince Learoyd, Pet a Pony, John Hunt School and Jules, and to the families and friends who came along. It would not be the same without you.
