Activities

Forthcoming events and activities at The Forbury

Dear everyone,

here’s our calendar of activities for August..

Dear everyone,

here is our calendar of activities for February..

Here is our calendar of activities for December and the Christmas period.

Dear everyone,

I am attaching our calendar of activities for November.  You are especially welcome to join us for the Residents’ Meeting on Tuesday 8th November from 2pm.  Our Christmas shopping trip will be to Hereford on Wednesday 23rd November.  There will be some spaces in the minibus if you would like to come with your relative or friend from The Forbury.  We will be leaving from The Forbury at 1.45pm, returning to The Forbury by 5.30pm. 

We have a large seating area booked for Christmas lunches at Wetherspoons in Leominster again this year.  Please let us know if you would like to come with your relative or friend.  We will be going out for lunch on:

 with the table booked for 1pm each day.

https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/christmas/christmas-meals

You can phone us on 01568 613877 and we hope you will be able to come out with us.

Here is our calendar of our main activities for October.  You are especially welcome to join your relative or friend at The Forbury for our monthly Residents’ Meeting on Thursday 13th October at 2pm.

• Tuesday 13th September: Shopping in Hereford:Leaving The Forbury at 1.45pm, returning to The Forbury by 5.30pm
• Wednesday 28th September and Tuesday 11th October: West Midlands Safari Park: free entry to one relative/friend accompanying a resident: Leaving The Forbury at 10.30am, returning to The Forbury by 5.30pm 

Our next Holy Communion at The Forbury  will be on Wednesday 31st August at 11.15am.

We are attaching our calendar of activities for August.  (Plans for activities may change.)  There will be spare seats in the minibus for families or friends if you would like to accompany your relative or friend on a trip.  Residents take turns to go out on the trips.  We aim to offer trips to suit the choices and needs of individual residents.  If you would like to go on a trip, please phone us on 01568 61387701568 613877.

We are attaching our calendar of main activities for July.  You are welcome to join your friend or relative from The Forbury on either of the scheduled minibus trips.  Residents are offered a choice of trips of varying length.  There will be spaces in the minibus for relatives and friends so please phone us on 01568 61387701568 613877 if you would like to come out on a trip.

Activities list for June…

I am attaching our plan for our main activities for June.  We are to begin again with our trips out, this time in the new Leominster Community Wheels minibus.  Residents will take turns to go out in the minibus and we will aim to offer trip choices to suit individuals’ interests and needs.  There will be some spare seats in the minibus.  If you would like to accompany your relative or friend from The Forbury on either of the trips scheduled for this month, please let us know on 01568 61387

 Activities list for May..

List of activities for April…

Here is our list of events and activities for March :

*Wednesdays at The Priory Church: Midweek Eucharist 10.30am

If you would like to assist your relative or friend from The Forbury to attend any of the Priory Church Services, please contact June Bakewell on 01568 613877. Thank You

Wishing you all a very happy new year from Emma and all the residents and staff at The Forbury

If you would like to assist your relative or friend from The Forbury to attend any of the Priory Church services, please contact June Bakewell on 01568 613877..thank you!

*Wednesdays: Priory Church Mid-Week Holy Communion Service: 10.30am

*Sundays: Priory Church Parish Eucharist Service: 10am ↓

Please speak to June if you would like to assist with accompanying your relative or if you could walk with the group to church.

Thank you very much.

Click on calendar for larger view..

August schedule :

Aug 4 – Residents Meeting 2.30pm

Aug 5 – Art with Jeanette all day / Banjo Brian 2.30pm

Aug 6 – Singing for the Brain 10am / Reminiscence & singing 2.30pm

Aug 7 – Art with Jeanette / Bingo 2.30pm

Aug 8 – Farmers Market at Corn Square 9am – 1pm

Aug 10 – Gardening / Cooking 2.30pm

Aug 11 – Trip to Weston-Super-Mare, leave at 9.30am

Aug 12 – Art with Jeanette

Aug 13 – Reminiscence / comedy play – reading & singing 2.30pm

Aug 14 – Art with Jeanette / Bingo 2.30pm

Aug 17 – Gardening / Cooking 2.30pm

Aug 18 – Trip to Hereford Community Farm leave at 10.15am

Aug 19 – Art with Jeanette

Aug 20 – Singing for the Brain 10am / Reminiscence / comedy play – reading & singing 2.30pm 

Aug 21 – Art with Jeanette / Bingo 2.30pm

Aug 24 Trip to Shobdon leave at 1.45pm

Aug 26 – Holy Communion 11.15am / Art with Jeanette

Aug 27 – Reminiscence / comedy play – reading & singing 2.30pm 

Aug 28 – Art with Jeanette / Bingo 2.30pm

Aug 31 – Gardening / Cooking 2.30pm

JUNE

Mon 1, 8, 15, 22 & 29 – Gardening (if the weather is fine)

Mon 8, 15, 22 & 29 @ 2.30pm Cooking Group

Tues 9 & 30 @ 2.30pm – Drama group

Tues 16 – Trip to West Midlands Safari Park (leave 10.30am)

Tues 23 – Trip to The Hop Pocket @ 1.45pm

Wed 3, 10, 17 & 24 – Art with Jeanette

Wed 24 @ 11.15am – Holy Communion

Thurs 4 & 18 @ 10am at the community centre

Thurs 4 @2.30pm – Banjo Brian

Thurs 18 @ 10am – Singing for the Brain

Thurs 25 @ 2.30pm – Reminiscence Group

Fri 5, 12, 17 & 24 – Art with Jeanette

Fri 5 & 19 @ 1.45pm – School Children visits

Fri 5, 12 & 26 @ 3.15pm – Bingo!

Fri 19 @ 11am – Singing for Fun at Waverley House

Our next Residents’ Meeting will be on 5th May at 2.30pm.

Drama workshops : every Tuesday 2.15pm – 3.15pm

Cognitive Therapy : every Thursday 2.30pm – 3.30pm

Holy communion : 25th March, 22 April, 27 May & 24 June at 11.15am

School children visits : 27th March 1.45pm – 2.45pm

Residents meeting  Wed April 1st 3.30pm

Pedro music workshop Wed 25th March 2.30pm – 3.30pm

 Meet Toni Cook who is a professional Drama Practitioner. Toni came to meet the residents and staff this week, to chat about a 10 week drama project organised by Katrin Cross from The Courtyards Creative Ageing department. 17 residents went to meet Toni, whose workshops will include lots of fun and laughter, role playing, characterisations, making props such as hats, reading poetry and much much more. Thank you Emma for liaising with the Courtyard. We look forward to seeing and hearing what Toni and the residents will do.

Thursday 5th February : Les Crooner to sing 3pm

Saturday 7th Feb Church choir (afternoon)

Tuesday 14th Feb Valentines Day : Rachel Hyde to sing 3pm

Thursday Feb 19th Pedro to sing 2-30pm

Wednesday Feb 25th : Holy Communion 11.15am / Carole Rees-Jones to sing 3pm

Thursday Feb 26th : Cognitive therapy group

Friday Feb 27th School children visit

Drama workshops – Tuesdays at 2-30pm on Feb 3rd, 10th, 17th and 24th

Residents Meetings –

Provisional dates will be on the following Thursdays at 2-30pm.  Relatives and friends are very welcome to share ideas and concerns –

Wed February 4th

Singing For Fun –

at Waverley House will be on the following Fridays at 11am.

At Norfolk House: Extend Exercises with Veronica Wood: every Wednesday

Christmas Theatre Visits

Tuesday 4th November, 2.30pm, £6 per person

OR

Jack and the Beanstalk at The Courtyard Theatre, Hereford > CANCELLED

If you would like to join your relative or friend from The Forbury at the performance of their choice, please let either Emma or Kate know.  For the Hereford theatre performance there will be limited space in the mini bus and relatives or friends will need to meet up with the group at the theatre.

The Forbury Newsletter Summer 2014

In July we were entered into the Leominster in Bloom gardening competition. Several residents worked hard to pot flowering plants into the train and into the horse and cart, all built by Marius, along with planting hanging baskets. The gardeners included Cliff, David C, Joan, Trixie, Hilda A-S, Margaret, Betty, Peggy, Rita H, Rita P, Jan, Michael S, Maria, and Paddy. Paddy was pleased with the pansies she had planted into separate pots. These had flowered well for weeks. One of her plants had, however, “gone on the wild side”, according to Paddy, by the time of the competition. Marius had constructed his horse and cart and train from recycled materials and a group of people worked together on the gardening. This meant we could be entered into the competition

Visit to Hereford Community Farm, Breinton, Hereford: 12/06/14

Last year residents visited a farm at Kentchurch near Ewyas Harold. This farm moved to Breinton at Hereford and it is now more easily accessible to visiting groups.

Paddy talked and wrote about her afternoon out at the farm:

“It was very nice. Very hot. A hot sunny day.” Paddy was interested to pass Breinton Church on the way, which she remembered. At the farm she was pleased to meet a dog, which reminded her of a dog she used to have called ‘Flossy’. “There were goats being fed. The boss goat butting the other goats for food. I enjoyed seeing the guinea pigs. Before we left they took us into a nice room in a modern building. We had tea and strawberries.” Paddy explained how the new farm was more modern than the farm she had visited last year.

Doreen, Margaret and friend..

Cliff and Kate

Doreen and Raymond

Residents trip to RAF Cosford 13/05/14

Tom said the museum was “extremely interesting” but there had not been enough time to see everything as the journey had been too long. Tom remembered seeing Hurricane and Spitfire aeroplanes. Betty mentioned the Wellingtons and the Dakotas. She remembered also visiting an aeroplane museum on The Isle of Wight. Betty is interested in Amy Johnson CBE, who was the first female pilot to fly solo from Britain to Australia, which she achieved when she was 26 in 1930.

Photos to follow..

In May we hosted a sale of ladies’ fashions from Bon Marché. Several residents said how pleased they were with their purchases. Bon Marché kindly called in twice to ensure that everyone received their garments in the size and colour of their choice. Bon Marché hope to introduce mens’ clothing into their range for sale shortly.

At Easter we held an Egg Hunt for the children of the staff. Residents helped with giving clues and they enjoyed watching the children. Our Easter Bring and Buy Sale raised money for The Willow Boat Trust and The Salvation Army. David C and Hilda P said how grateful they were for the help of The Salvation Army during the war. Thank you to Kim and her sister Emma for their kind donation of hand bags to sell. These proved extremely popular.

The Forbury forthcoming trips for residents..

Summer Tea Dance:

• Wednesday 30^th July, 3pm. Bring your families and have some fun! Mark Drew is to sing for us. BBQ from 3.30pm.

Summer Bring and Buy Sale:

• Wednesday 27^th August, 2.30pm. Come along and find a bargain! This will be in aid of The Forbury Residents’ Fund.

Residents’ and Relatives’ Meetings

Our monthly Residents’ Meetings are not just for residents! Family and friends are also invited to share ideas for events and activities and to express concerns. The meetings begin at 2pm and forthcoming provisional dates are:

• Thursday 7^th August

• Thursday 4^th September

Conversations in the conservatory…(an occasional feature)

24.5.14 Rabbits …

David C: (Talking about South Africa): the birds out there, you wouldn’t shoot the little ones. You would shoot the big ones, like eagles, close enough to make them fly up.

Betty: Men kill things.

David C: You find women who shoot.

Rita P: I shot a rabbit, skinned it and ate it.

David C: I sewed rabbit skins together to make a nice blanket.

Rita P: In Ireland I had my own gun from about the age of 10.

David C: If you teased a ferret it was likely to bite you. They would bite the rabbits that were huddling in the tunnels.

Betty: The ferrets would chase the rabbits. They came out the other end.

David C: You put them on a line. They would go in. You could drag them back out. They had a little collar on. Only if you teased them; if you stuck your finger through the wire mesh they would a nibble at your finger.

Emma (to Rita P): How would you know where to go to shoot the rabbits?

Rita P: Well it was sitting there.

David C: Rabbits shout out “I am here!”. They stick their tails in the air with a white little puff. I remember the time my father worked on the kilns with the bricks. We had a rabbit for lunch. I stitched a rabbit’s tail on his trousers. Everybody thought it was funny, every time he bent down. It was good fun though because everyone was having a good laugh. If he was still alive he wouldn’t like me telling the tale.

Betty: A rabbit’s tail is for good luck.

David C: I stitched one on my father’s trousers. He went to the local pub to swallow it. He said “I’ll get you.” I don’t think he ever did. He knew he’d been caught. He had a good laugh. He took it the right way, which I appreciated. That’s why I didn’t do it too often. He always had a pint of beer waiting at his local pub. The poor soul died in his 50’s.

Peggy: We had rabbit stew on New Year’s Eve.

David C: I only ever caught one wild rabbit (as a child).

Paddy: I could hear them rumbling around under the ground. My brother and uncle had ferrets.

Keeping chickens …and a cockerel!

In our early married years (the 1950’s), the legal restriction forbidding residents in urban areas from keeping “pigs, pigeons or poultry” was temporarily lifted. Eggs were rationed so we decided to try rearing chickens. Our rented premises included an attic room, which we couldn’t afford to furnish, so my husband found a substantial cardboard carton into which he wired an electric light bulb and covered it with an upside down large plant pot. The order for a dozen day-old-chicks turned out to be a “baker’s dozen” (i.e. 13) when it was delivered to our flat early in January. Intensive care on the part of my husband yielded excellent results as the whole brood survived (I couldn’t help much as my time was taken up caring for our two little boys). When not working to earn money or carefully monitoring his “livestock” my husband managed to erect a makeshift henhouse and a “run” ready for the maturing of the rapidly growing chicks. The day came for the transfer to the big out of doors! Again we were fortunate as we didn’t have to cope with any illness and eventually had the excitement of collecting eggs. All went well until one morning we were awakened by a loud “Cock-a-doodle-doo”! Consternation! The 13^th chick turned out to be a cock! The neighbours were not pleased. This resulted in our having some delicious and nutritious meals but not before the (for me agonising) experience of having to learn how to prepare a hen for the pot.

Muriel Palmer

10 and 11 year old children from the new Leominster school will be visiting us in the Autumn. We are looking forward to sharing some of these methods of eating well with them!

Forbury Poets in Residence

Irish Ballads

As I went walking one summer’s morning, the birds in the bushes did warble and sing.

I spied one amongst them more fairer than any. She was only a hard-working factory girl.

I stepped up to her more closely to view her and the moment she saw me she cast me a smile of dismay,

Saying “Young man stand off me and do not come near me.” And oh my poor girl I think it no shame.

The Donegal mountains are not far away.

I’ll tell you a story that happened one day.

A young maiden of age sixteen and she courted the colours white, yellow and green.

Sung by Tony McKinney

Ron and Peggy both remembered HMS Hood and HMS Argonaut:

The Blue Funnelled Fleet

“Rodney’s the pride of the Blue Funnelled Fleet, there’s plenty to do but there’s nothing to eat”.

You can roll out The Nelson, The Rodney, The Hood, but three-masted schooners are no blimmin’ good.

… That’s my version. It was popular during The War.

Ron Lawson

Tony thought of the footballers:

“I’ve been a footballer for many a year, I spent all my money on whiskey and beer”.

Tony Mckinney

We hope you have enjoyed our newsletter. If you have any ideas for activities and trips out, please let us know! We hope to see you at our Summer Tea Dance and BBQ on 30^th July.

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The Forbury will host a talk by Andy Bradley from Framework4change at 6.30-8.30pm at Leominster Community Centre on Monday 28^th July. Andy will offer an evening of connection, inspiration and compassion on the theme of ‘The Art of Caring’ – and will be of interest to people who are caring for someone at home, or have a relative or friend in care or who have an interest in self compassion and mindfulness. Places are limited so book a place please phone either Jeanette McCulloch on 01531 636805 or June Bakewell, Forbury Manager on 01568 613877.

Artist Jeanette McCulloch

Jeanette runs an art session every Monday at The Forbury for residents to get involved in painting, craft, printmaking and model-making.