We had 'Wear Pink Day' at Astor care complex recently, all in aid of cancer awareness.

The people who live with us had a wonderful day dressing up and taking part in activities. We also took time to remember loved ones lost to cancer and our brave warriors fighting it.

Abingdon Court took a trip to The Michaelmas Fair.

This was originally a mediaeval hiring fair for rural farmworkers to find work in the local area around Abingdon-on-Thames. As years have past, the fair has become bigger and bigger and now measures around a mile and a half in length, making it the largest street fair in Europe.

The Michaelmas Fair is remembered fondly by those that live with us, with stories being told of the fun they once had with family and friends.

What a great day we had at the Dawlish Eat Festival this weekend. It was amazing to have an opportunity to celebrate food and introduce Hug on a Plate to the community. Allison, head of hospitality for MMCG, who created this initiative was on hand with Regional Support Matt to answer any questions around the food provision at Claremont Manor that people may have had.

We celebrated cultures with an Italian theme, we made the leaning Tower of Pisa and a flag of Italy, we listened to the beautiful voice of Andrea Botticelli, read about some fascinating history and looked at how the Roman Empire impacted the world …We had Pizza and Tiramisu in the afternoon, a real taste of Italy, then finished off with some fun pictures for our very own portrait gallery.

On the 29th of September, a number of our care homes took part in Fundraising for Macmillan’s Biggest Coffee Morning! . It was a great success, if you would like to support Macmillian, please visit: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/.

The people who live with us enjoyed music and movement which bought back memories of doing this at primary school, which was great fun. We also did crossword puzzles, bingo and had a singalong.

 

One of the greatest benefits of painting is that it can improve your mental health and boost your mood. Painting can be a really relaxing hobby, taking your mind off of other concerns as you get lost in the act of painting, concentrating on your subject matter and being creative. As a result, stress naturally decreases, providing those in older age with a welcome escape from daily concerns. Painting can also be a sociable activity, with many group painting classes being available.

Alan popped in recently to have a sing along and make our lovely residents giggle! We love when Alan comes as he always puts a smile on our faces! It was also Hawaiian day at Astor so we all dressed up in bright outfits.

We are delighted to share that at Bowerfield Court we have started to celebrate "Week of Arts" by hosting our very own arts exhibition! Today we had 6 beautiful pictures on display which were painted by Gordon Andrew Partt, born in 1928 started life by joining the navy and after 4 years started working at a men's clothing firm where he met his beloved wife Barbara. In his retirement years he enjoyed painting as a hobby and that's how today we get to appreciate his amazing work and love for Arts.

 

After months of planting, watering regularly and keeping an eye on the garden, Windmill has won this year's Slough in Bloom Competition. We thank James, our maintenance, with the help of some of our residents who love gardening for making this possible. Our garden has become a place where all of our residents like to spend their time, and all of us have made some fond memories together.