Eye care home invites local community to honour D-Day

An Eye care home is opening its doors to the community for a commemorative ceremony.

On Thursday 6^th June, from 10:30am – 3:30pm, Care UK’s Hartismere Place, on Castleton Way, is welcoming local people to honour the 80^th anniversary of D-Day with its very own lamp lighting ceremony. 

To commemorate the Normandy Landings on 6^th June 1944, Care UK is partnering with royal pageant master Bruno Peek, CVO OBE OPR, coordinator of ‘D-Day 80 Lamp Light of Peace’. Along with charities supporting the three forces and the Merchant Navy Association, over 100 Care UK homes will take part in this nationwide tribute.

At Hartismere Place, the team have been hard at work organising a special commemorative event which will see residents and guests enjoy a 1940s-themed party, complete with military vehicles, sandbags, camouflage netting, and popular wartime songs from Caprice Duo. 

Team members will be dressed in wartime clothes, supplied by Gillings of Diss, and the culinary team will serve a delicious wartime menu from a WW2 cookbook, which will be served out of a NAAFI Wagon. There will also be a quiz hosted by the 490^th bomb squadron and a reminiscence session, where families are invited to bring photos and memorabilia along.

The lamp, which represents the peace that followed the end of World War Two, will be lit at 9:00pm by the mayor, Tunie Brandon.

Myra Wildmum, 96, said: “I was 16 when D-Day happened, and I remember it clearly. I think it’s brilliant that we’re celebrating D-Day and that we must not let the younger generation forget the sacrifice all those people that served during the war made. 

“All of those people that lost their lives must always be remembered and honoured because if it wasn't for them the world would be a very different place.”

Claire Martin, Home Manager at Hartismere Place, said: “Here at Hartismere Place, we’re passionate about playing an active role in our community, so we’re delighted to be joining a nationwide initiative by opening our doors to mark the 80^th anniversary of D-Day.

“Reminiscence activities are a great way for older people, and those living with dementia, to connect with those around them and help maintain a sense of identity, and in the run up to the day, residents have been sharing their own stories and memories – it’s been fantastic to hear everyone’s experiences and learn from one another.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming new and old faces into Hartismere Place for what we anticipate will be a heartfelt day for everyone involved!”  

To find out more about how Care UK is supporting the initiative, please visit: careuk.com/dday-80th-anniversary

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. The team also operates a day centre, the Hartismere Place Day Club, open to the community throughout the week.