“It was a massive relief to show off some lights” – Cheadle care home celebrates VE Day

Home news

May 24, 2021

A care home in Cheadle marked the Victory in Europe Day anniversary with a special event. 

Care UK’s Abney Court, in Abney Hall Park, hosted a street party-themed event to encourage residents to reminisce and celebrate this historical milestone.

The home was adorned with flags, balloons and homemade bunting specially for the occasion. Residents were treated to VE Day-themed treats specially prepared by Abney Court’s chef, including sandwiches and Victoria sponge cake, and vintage fizz, Dandelion and Burdock. The home team also put 1940s music on to encourage residents to tap their feet and share memories of the historical day.

Among them was resident Margaret Watson, aged 92. She was in school when she found out the war was over from local ammunition factory employees. A big street party was organised, featuring an illuminated bus driving through the town and bonfires everywhere. She said: “An illuminated bus came through the town and everyone prepared their bonfires – after all the blackouts, it was a massive relief to show off some lights.”

Andrew McIntyre, Home Manager at Abney Court, said: “For many residents, VE Day is a special time of the year, as many remember it as the day they knew they would be reunited with their fathers, uncles and brothers.

“While the current restrictions meant we couldn’t organise a true street party, we still wanted to do something special to mark the occasion, and the team worked hard to put together an indoor event to celebrate. Reminiscence activities can be incredibly beneficial for older people, and although VE Day was 76 years ago and many of the residents were children at the time, it’s amazing to hear some of the small details they recalled during our event.

“It was great to hear some heart-warming stories from residents – they reminded us just how lucky we were not to have experienced a conflict of this scale in our lifetime.”

Abney Court has been designed to deliver the very best standards of care and to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives. The home provides full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. The care home incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities and includes its own cinema, hair salon and café.

To find out more about Abney Court care home, email Pamela Wilson, customer relations manager at pamela.wilson@careuk.com or call 0161 660 5713.

For more general information about Abney Court, please visit careuk.com/abney-court

Register for our event