A day to go down in history! Community joins Eye care home for a festival to remember

A care home in Eye transported the local community back to the Middle Ages at a very special event.

The team at Care UK’s Hartismere Place, on Castleton Way, were joined by the people of Eye for an Anglo-Saxon inspired festival.

The team were joined by special visitors from the Sutton Hoo Re-enactment Group, history enthusiasts that host educational activities and recreate life during different historical periods. On the day, members of the group brought along ancient artifacts from the Anglo-Saxon period, which included a replica of a Viking helmet worn in the Early Middle Ages.

Following the insightful, interactive history session, guests put on their dancing shoes and let loose to an eclectic mix of songs thanks to a special live performance from local singer, Budgie.

In true Anglo-Saxon style, the home’s talented Head Chef prepared a host of medieval treats, which included wild boar sausages, spit roast pork, and a motte and bailey castle cake for everyone to enjoy.

Residents also got to show off their hard work in recent arts and crafts sessions with Hartismere Place’s very own version of the historic Bayeux Tapestry, illustrating the events leading up to the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, which was proudly showcased for all to see.

The fun-filled, medieval festival formed part of Hartismere Place’s Care Home Open Week celebrations, a national initiative that encourages care homes to open their doors and showcase what life in a care home is really like.

Cynthia Ridger a resident at Hartismere Place, said: “I thoroughly enjoyed the festival, and really appreciated the Sutton Hoo group bringing all the wonderful artifacts. It was interesting sampling food from this period and I appreciated the work the Chef and his team and put in to the day, especially the Pig’s Head and trotter display! Creating the Hartismere Place version of the Bayeux tapestry with the lifestyle team and friends in the home was really enjoyable and it looks wonderful on display in the coffee shop.”

Claire Martin, Home Manager at Hartismere Place, said: “Our Anglo-Saxon inspired festival offered a wonderful opportunity for us to connect with the community and show them what life at Hartismere Place is all about. 

“Thank you again to the Sutton Hoo Re-enactment Group for putting on quite the show and transporting us to the Early Middle Ages. We wanted a festival like no other, and our Anglo-Saxon themed event was certainly something new for the Eye community to enjoy.

“We’re already planning our next event – a Country Music Festival on 17^th September – so keep your eyes peeled!”

To find out more about Care UK’s Festival Season celebrations, please visit: careuk.com/festival-season

To find out more about Hartismere Place, please contact Senior Customer Relations Manager, Angela Hodge, on 01379 888276 or email angela.hodge@careuk.com 

Hartismere Place 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, residential dementia, as well as short term respite care, with a day club also set to open in the coming months.