It’s royal party time for residents on home front
CARE homes across the Valley went the extra mile for their residents to ensure they enjoyed nostalgic and joyous Platinum Jubilee festivities.
There were Union flag hats, cake and bunting at Haslingden Hall and Lodge as families partied outdoors with a buffet, crowns and “lovely vocals” courtesy of Veterans in Communities’ choir. Staff spoke of the relief and pleasure of both residents and carers at being able to “feel normal” and reconnect with the community.
At Holme Manor Care Home in Townsendfold, there was bunting, a dance to the sounds of the 50s and 60s, and all the ladies wore corsages of flowers on their wrists.
A cardboard cut-out of the Queen kept watch on her subjects from the home’s special Covid pot just a small reminder of the tough past two years endured.
Residents assembled in the Manor Lounge to sing along with Ian Jenkins, resplendent in his special Diamond Jubilee waistcoat. A Jubilee buffet was served and residents and staff watched the Thanksgiving Service at St Paul’s Cathedral.
Joan Gray, 80, originally from Bacup, said: “I have enjoyed the party, maybe we will be dancing on the tables later. I think the Queen has done marvellously well; she is amazing and you can’t fault her.”
Pamela Rogers, 81, who used to live in Edenfield, said: “The Queen has just been wonderful and everything she does is perfect. Today has been very hectic.”
Holme Manor housekeeper Joanne Thomson said everyone really enjoyed the weekend.
“We had a gentleman singer and he’s brilliant and really interacts with the residents,” she said. “Ryan, our proprietor, goes above and beyond. We had a patio built up in the garden for the residents’ families to join in especially for these events. It was fantastic from start to finish.”
Joanne said they have tried to keep entertainment going for the residents
where possible - including flower arranging, baking and bingos - while the residents have been included in activities such as making decorations for the home to build the anticipation leading up to the big weekend.
“We have been planning it since Christmas really,” she added.
“A lot of them - even though they have advanced dementia - they still have
reality of what’s going on. Our activities coordinator was talking to them about the Jubilee and they were reminiscing about it.
“It’s lovely.
“There was only one person who unfortunately was bed-bound, but she still had a corsage on her wrist and flags in her bedroom.”
Haslingden Hall activities coordinators Nathan Horsfield and Susan Burnside
thanked all the families that attended their Jubilee party for their continued support, as well as Veterans in Communities.
Nathan told the Free Press: “We put on the Jubilee celebration and of course it was foremost for the Queen, but we also wanted it to be a time that families could come together and feel normal after the whole Covid pandemic.
It was just nice they were able to sit out on the front and sit with their loved ones. We put on a big buffet for families and all the residents, and it was a nice time for staff as well to get to know the relatives. A lot of the relatives are new people that we have not really been able to sit down with.”
Nathan said they came together to put on “one big event” and it evoked plenty
of nostalgia for residents including Marieanne Holden, who turned 101 on June 10, so is actually five years older than the Queen.
He added: “We wanted to get the community involved - one of the ladies from the sheltered accommodation behind sat with us. We are hoping to do more events like that at the front and we do want to reconnect with the community.”
WHAT you’ve been saying on our Facebook page:
●●TRAGEDY of amazing woman, 29, who died weeks before transplant (see p4):
Wilfred Nuttall: So sad, no one should go through with what Aimee went through in her short years of life. May she rest in peace, and my condolences are with the family and friends
Louise Ashworth Emmott: Absolutely beautiful girl and fought so hard through her life with her illness. Aimee will be sadly missed by everyone who knew her. RIP Aimee x
Michelle Slack: So sad RIP Aimee god bless x
Kath Calvert: So so sad, she was such a beautiful woman RIP Aimee x
●●TRADERS slam festival ‘shambles’, June 9:
Wayne Anthony O’Brien: Saying that Rawtenstall didn’t have bunting up all down the shopping street, that seemed to be disappointing. Some shops did make an effort, although went into Bury and they have bunting up all down the street shopping area at the Rock, so can’t see why there was no bunting around Rawtenstall and Bacup
Lynsey Perkins: The lack of any decorations across Rawtenstall as well was noted. The response from Barbara Ashworth doesn’t even acknowledge why there was no jubilee events. Why not do both over the weekend?
Barbara Smith: Absolute disgrace
Wendy Hartley: Biggest shambles
Laura Walden:
Haslingden was awful, a few pathetic rosettes on the railings in the centre of town.
Julie Bradshaw: Lots of individual shops had made an effort, it is a shame that wasn’t matched by the council
John Cullane: They had £90k to cover a few days! Councils across the UK have had years of funding cuts that ultimately impact public services every day of the week. I wonder how many millions were spent across the UK
Paul Barlow: Did the ones moaning put stuff up. still remember hand sewing bunting for 1977
Alan Boon: These events were set up by people with their own agenda and ideology
Jimmy Elsworth: You all moan, but what did you do about it? Nothing! Enough said
Jamie Rowell: Rossendale Borough Council yet again hang your heads in shame.
Amanda Jane Hewlett: As per usual Bacup gets seen as a second class town
Kelly Shaw: Yep it was a cr*p attempt by our council yet again !
Penny Sutton-Bedford: “However, organisers say the festival was never promoted as a celebration of the Jubilee.” Really - shame on you!
Robert Ibbotson: The government funded 28 million pounds to celebrate the richest woman in Britain. That money could have been better spent somewhere else.
Emma Piper: Tho whole area is a shambles!
Nigel Clegg: Didn’t the football club have an event on the same day? Maybe try working with other events in the area
Andrew Knight: Why bother? Can’t afford it anyway with the price of everything
Carmen Carlton: Didn’t go up to Bacup but nothing in Rawtenstall. Lots of shops made the effort. The council was the talk of the hairdressers and not in a good way.