A Bracknell care home proudly welcomed over 200 members of the community to join residents and their relatives for a joyful and nostalgic celebration marking the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
Care UK’s Bickerton House, on Warfield Road, pulled out all the stops to commemorate the poignant anniversary of Victory in Europe, and hosted a 1940s-themed street party with live entertainment, face-painting and a delicious afternoon tea.
Guests also enjoyed browsing retro stalls that were set up for the celebration to raise money for Help for Heroes, and playing traditional games from the wartime era, including bean bag toss and ration stalls.
Also in attendance at the special commemorative event were two VIP guests: Geraldine Lejeune OBE, the Deputy Lieutenant of Berkshire, and Councillor Jenny Penfold, the Mayor of Bracknell. Both delivered moving speeches about the importance of VE Day.
Resident Maisie Gerring reflected on her memories of the important time, saying: “I remember the war and hiding under the tables with my family whenever the planes came over. My Dad was a patrol man, and he had to make sure all the homes were dark. On VE Day, I remember everyone was happy and relieved, and we all partied in the streets with our friends and family. It’s important we continue to come together to commemorate the day and pass on the memories of the people that fought for us.”
Michael Pallister, Home Manager at Bickerton House, said: “We had a wonderful time celebrating VE Day 80 with residents, their families and the Bracknell community. Everyone was in high spirits as we marked this momentous occasion, but we also took time to reflect on the poignancy of the milestone.
“I’d like to thank the Deputy Lieutenant of Berkshire and the Mayor of Bracknell for joining us on the day, and for their wonderful speeches, as well as the entire team for making this celebration possible.
“It was a privilege to honour this important anniversary and to see the residents enjoying the music, food and company of the community as they shared their memories of times gone by. It’s so important to enable residents to foster meaningful connections with the local community and for us to host nostalgic events that can prompt reminiscence, so our VE Day celebration was a roaring success.”
Bickerton House has been designed to encourage residents to live active and fulfilling lives, while remaining as independent as possible in a safe environment. The state-of-the-art care home provides residential, nursing, respite and specialist dementia care, and features a bar and café, cinema, hair salon, activities room and garden.
For more information about Bickerton House, call Customer Relations Manager Chantel Baigent on 01344 989943 or emailchantel.baigent@careuk.com