winter draws on....

Residents had a great time learning to play instruments in October when Sara came to play for us and brought with her a collection of colourful Ukeleles.

Everyone had a go and, though some did better than others, everyone had fun and learned something new.

On a another damp and dreary autumn evening we were treated to a 'forties and fifties' fashion show by staff member Sharon and friend. Sharon collects clothes from this period, so residents settled down with glasses of sherry to reminisce about their own clothes in those days. 

On a more serious note; some of our staff came to us from the Philippines back in 2006. Their families were all safe following the recent hurricanes but residents decided to raise some money for the relief effort. They produced a newsboard to place in the entrance of the home......

                 

                          

.....and last week we were able to pay £79 into the collecting point at the post office.

Whilst the weather continues to cool, bringing lovely autumn colour, we have taken our onions and apple crop into store, finished the raspberries  and have started planning our events for December.  We went for a first taste of Christmas to the garden centre to look at the displays and marvel at the amount of nonsense that people can choose to spend money on at this time of year.

We spent money on tea and cakes. Eyes bigger than stomachs as it turned out, but enjoyable none the less.

Autumn. Time to try new things....

We have been getting creative through September, with residents trying their hand at drawing from bits of Picasso and learning about modern art. Cats have to be at the centre of things, so I am told and ours is no exception but he adds to the entertainment.

  

 Harpist Liz Yorke has been visiting for a few years now, playing a lovely selection of folk and classical tunes. Here she explains elements of the instrument to a blind resident. 

Improvements in the house continue.  Laying a new floor in the dining room was disruptive but worthwhile. We now have a floor that is easy to clean and attractive. The downside of course, is that we now need to redecorate to bring the rest up to scratch.

Meanwhile, the PingPong Care Campaign has come to Sharnbrook.
This is a national campaign funded by the lottery to encourage older people to get active. Our residents had a go and surprised us with their skills and enthusiasm, so this will be something we do regularly to help strengthen joints, improve balance and reduce falls. 

 

Finally, we all enjoyed an outing on the new community boat, along the river to Cardington Lock. Families joined us and we had cream teas, sparkling wine and warm sunshine. Everyone had a great time. Our thanks to all who volunteered to help on the day.

 

 

 

 

 

Coming up next month Tai chi classes and Ukelele lessons.

Seriously.  

 

    The last days of summer. 2013

The past few weeks have been all about food in one way or another. The blossom of spring (see earlier blog entry) has now turned to apples and it looks like being a bumper crop.

 It has been a great year for fruit and veg  and residents have been very well fed from the garden. They have enjoyed fresh plums, mulberries and soft fruit, leeks, peas, tomatoes and much more.

Residents went on an outing to the newly re-opened Higgins Gallery in Bedford and sampled the café at lunch time.

 They found the tour very interesting and we plan to run regular trips to the gallery to gain from their outreach services and hear experts talk about various artworks. This forms part of our efforts to provide stimulation and new interests for our residents, many of whom have memory problems.
Meanwhile, back at the old homestead,  some residents are preparing for Christmas by making damson gin. Others obviously do not want to wait that long.....

 

Maintenance staff set up scaffolding to hang a new light in our two storey stairwell. Keeping up a property of this age and size is never straight forward but the results prove worthwhile.                                

 

Our cooks do a great job of providing really tasty and beautifully prepared food for the residents and their guests. Here is a sample of afternoon tea cakes - a tray of choux swans. Not everyone will like everything, but there is always a choice and the kitchen staff make great efforts to produce a range of healthy and interesting dishes.

 

 

 

 

Coming up soon will be a boat trip up the river, harvest with all it's mellow fruitfulness and celebration, pub lunches and more outings.

hot hazy days...

the hot weather has caused problems to people around the country, particularly the very young and very old.
Fortunately for us, Sharnbrook House is an old building with thick walls, high ceilings and a cool flow of air inside. (We call these draughts in the winter).
Residents have been sitting out in the early morning and evening to make the most of the summer but still get involved in the odd light hearted competition as the day heats up.

Things that we usually do inside have been adapted for the outside, for example our weekly crossword session shown below. Cool feet aid concentration apparently.

 This week we took a trip to the embankment in Bedford for a change of scene. It was a very hot day, but pleasant under the trees.
Residents ate ice cream and watched the river life go by.

Domestic activities are not forgotten. Here some folk made scones for afternoon tea but then decided to eat them all themselves. 

Happily some family members turned up to help them.

There is a lot of disruption for the next month or two while we have some decorating done and flooring replaced. The cat spends most of his time in the garden keeping out of the way. We hope the results will be more practical as well as providing a more attractive and welcoming environment in those rooms.
  

Summer days...

now that we are getting some sunshine, residents are making the most of opportunities to get out in the garden. Our garden club is organised by a kind, local volunteer who takes residents to the garden centre to choose plants and helps them to maintain their tubs.

This bit of gardening gives enormous satisfaction to those who take part and pleasure to everyone for the rest of the season.

Meanwhile the rest of us get in some exercise and competition with a game of giant outdoor darts.

 A number of residents and staff went to the Mill theatre a few weeks ago to see the local production of 'Gypsy'. They had a great time and stayed up till mid night chatting about the experience. 
We  hope to go again to future productions.  
This week we held a strawberry cream tea for residents and to thank our volunteers who give us so much help and support. The home has benefited from some marvellous and loyal volunteers who have, for example, run an exercise class every week for fourteen years, kept our entrance stocked with flowers or served teas for nearly thirty years.  In addition we also have a regular group who help with outings, events and generally befriend our residents. 

 We are very appreciative of all their help.

Coming up: next week, the church fete will be held in the gardens and we hope to take residents on a boat trip soon.

 

The sun has got his hat on - and his umbrella up

The plants are going in for the floral displays and kitchen garden in this, the busiest and best time of the gardening year....

...and the blossom on the apple trees promises a good harvest if we do not have a summer like last year.

Residents have been making the most of the sun when we get it.... 

..........and the tea shop when we do not

Last week we had an entertaining evening with flautist Jenny Small and a few bottles of wine and sherry. Residents joined in with voices and instruments provided by Jenny and the evening got merrier and merrier.

Coming up, residents and staff will take part in a sponsored walk to to raise money for residents amenities. This covers the cost of outings and entertainments. Next week some of us will be going to the theatre to see the local performance of "Gypsy".

spring cleaning

Spring has sprung and the garden is coming to life at last.
In a garden as large as ours, with many protected, mature trees, there is always maintenance to be done. Last year, this elderly chestnut tree was cut down as it was in an unhealthy state. 

The trunk has been retained, at the suggestion of he County tree officer, as a haven for small forms of wildlife. Every time we lose a mature specimen, we replace it elsewhere in the garden with the same or a different tree.
The 18thC building also needs constant work. This cherry picker was hired to enable our maintenance man to clear the gutters which had become clogged with  grass, pigeon nests and moss. It also enabled him to check out and photograph other problems developing at roof height.

 Meanwhile, our residents attended a talk by Simon Greenish, until recently Curator of Bletchley Park. Over the years a number of our residents have worked at decryption during the war, either at Bletchley Park or in other associated work. This is the case with a current resident and former WReN, who worked at a Y station, listening to German messages.

Outside the flowers are growing and the garden is being prepared for new vegetables. People and animals are able to get outside again.

 Coming up, we have outings, a sponsored walk and a musical evening to keep us occupied. More soon. 

 There are early signs of spring in the garden as the days draw out.

This is all very encouraging, but still cold, so we keep busy indoors.

Two weeks ago "Elvis" came to sing to us. He was quite convincing and made a lot of ladies very happy. They are all hoping he will make a return visit. 

For the last few months, residents have been studying the history of Sharnbrook House and piecing together the archive material that we have. Activities organiser, Margaret, has made a 3-D version of the plans to enable those with poor sight to feel the layout .

Greensleeves  makes a special effort to recognise good work and long service among its staff. Deputy Chief executive, Stuart Cross visited to present Aimee with a certificate and gift tokens  for her first ten years of service. 

In spite of a few colds, we rounded off the month with a Spanish evening,  sampling different sherries and tapas. Residents came up with lots of ideas for future party evenings. There are plenty of events coming up in March for us to look forward to. More soon.   

Things to do in a snowy January

 Sharnbrook House....frozen on the outside, warm on the inside, with plenty to keep away the winter blues. 

At the beginning of January we took a party of residents to the Winter Ball at the Corn Exchange in Bedford. Some danced, others just watched, but all enjoyed the occasion and the tea served in the interval. 
(Some people took a doggy bag of cakes home for their friends). Back at home, the board games came out as the rain and snow continued....

...and, for the more serious minded, Deputy manager, Anna, has been holding regular Italian lessons which have proven very popular.

Every day is family day however and we welcome visits from residents grandchildren and great grandchildren at any time. 

In this picture, Vera meets her new great grand daughter for the first time.  Coming up soon, residents will be practising singing with a community group, developing their studies into the history of the home, going on some more outings and much more.