It’s back – The Lawns 12 Days of Christmas! In time honoured tradition and in true panto style, we take a look back over our highlights of Christmas. Thank you to all our team at The Lawns for making Christmas such a magical, happy time for our residents.
We present to you (with some artistic licence with the numbering and not in chronological order!)
The Lawns 12 Days of Christmas!
12 Advent Memories
Double this to 24 for each day of advent! This was an inspired idea by Joy, our brilliant activities coordinator. Each day of advent she posted on our Facebook page a beautiful memory from our year at The Lawns. So lovely to look back on pictures, particularly from the Beach Party, our Dog Show and when Josie was awarded for her long service. Also, our fabulous new extension was completed this year.
Ruth with Mr Punch
A paddle in the pool
Dog Show
Josie’s long service recognition
11 Trays of Mincepies
There must have been way more that 11 trays. Anita, our fabulous chef, made hundreds for our Christmas fayre and all our Christmas parties. Not to mention the mince pie with a tipple treats each day for our residents! Who doesn’t love a Baileys at Christmas?
Festive tipples
Anita had some helpers on hand as our residents got involved making mince pies and also gingerbread and Christmas tree and snowman shapes biscuits. The wafts from our main kitchen and our residents’ kitchen in our new extension have been delicious!
Making mincepies with Anita
Mincepies
Larking about making mincepies!
10 Santa’s Dashing
A big shout out to our Victoria, one of the runners in this years Santa Dash. This was in aid of St Richards Hospice. Well done Victoria.
9 Canes of Candy
Our residents all remember a traditional sweet shop, with candy canes and glass jars full of sweets lining the walls. Joy has recreated this at The Lawns with our new sweets trolley. She has found all the candy classics in 9 authentic jars. From humbugs to chocolate honeycomb, to mint imperials, flying saucers, banana foams and shrimps. The smell of the jars alone conjures so many childhood memories.
The Lawns Candy Trolley
8 Christmas Jumpers
At Least eight! A brilliant Christmas Jumper Day was had by all, including our favourite therapy dogs. They looked gorgeous in their festive knits too!
Festive knits!
7 Pots of Glitter
Most likely more, but at least seven! Our residents have enjoyed lots of Christmas crafting on quieter days between all the Christmas high jinks. They made items to sell at our Christmas Fayre, the proceeds of which have been added to our residents fund. They also made door decorations and table decorations and enjoyed decorating the Christmas trees around our home.
One of our trees
The decorated hearth
Another tree!
6 Fondant Presents
This was the number of presents we counted on top of the Christmas cake Anita made. This years design was Rudolph pulling a sleigh of presents. Both stunning and scrummy!
Our Christmas cake
5 Tiny Tots
Sharing Christmas time with little ones and the excitement they bring is so magical. It was wonderful to have a Christmas party with the tots from Norton Pre-school, who have such a lovely bond with our residents. Playing with snowballs on the parachute brought lots of squeals of laughter and that was before the present opening!
Christmas with Norton Pre-schoolers
4. 45
AM!! was the time Anita was up getting the turkey in the oven at The Lawns for our Christmas Day lunch. Thank you to all our staff who worked over Christmas and went the extra mile as always to make the day so memorable for our residents and their families.
Our chef, Anita
One of our elves!
And another elf!
Staff and Santa
3 Christmas Parties
There was a managers’ Christmas party – a chance for the wider Heritage Manor team to get together and celebrate Christmas. There was also The Lawns Residents’ Christmas Party with Santa delivering presents and then The Lawns “Let Us Entertain You!” Staff Variety Show. Mrs Claus (also known as Joy) was on hand throughout with her cheeky Secret Santa gifts and orchestrating all the events!
Mrs Claus
2 Santa’s Helpers
Thank you to Hannah and Olaf the Snowman for helping Santa with his deliveries and all our Christmas elves and fairies. We certainly excelled ourselves with the Christmas outfits for the Variety Show.
The staff variety show
Santa
Santa, Olaf and Hannah with a resident
And a Fairy Godmother – yes it’s our Dee!
And we hope to grant lots of our residents wishes in 2019 and have launched our Make a Wish project. Drop your loved ones wishes into our special Make a Wish box and we will see how many come true this year.
Our fairy Godmother!
We have had so much fun this Christmas! Who knows what 2019 will bring, but at The Lawns it is sure to be many more happy times.
We wish you all a very Happy New Year.