News and Views at Willow Court
CHRISTMAS ISSUE 2010
News and Views at Willow Court
WINTER ISSUE 2010/2011
PAST EVENTS
There was plenty of whooping, hollering, line dancing and even a
‘hold up’ at gun point at the Willow Court “OK Corral” on 11th
September. Memoirs served a ‘Western style’ menu and Mandy Ann
sang a variety of Country and Western songs. There was also a good
turn out of Cowboys and Cowgirls. Peter Smith won first prize for his
outfit; he donned leather trousers, leather waist coat and suede shirt.
(Mandy Ann pictured right, Kath, Breda Tennant and Diane, bottom
left, Gill and Jeff Phillips centre and Peter Smith bottom right.
It was a great night!
On 9th October we were treated to a musical evening
with Chris Hastings. Chris is a professional multiinstrumental musician and singer. He captured the
interest of his audience with his talents and
performance, playing a variety of instruments and
music from classical to classic pop/rock, easy
listening and jazz.
There was something to satisfy everyone’s taste in
music.
On 21st October there was a double bill of entertainment with Magician/Illusionist
Prince Nadin and Pianist John Jenvey.
Prince Nadin (pictured right)
kicked off the evening with his
sleight of hand fiery magic tricks
& illusions, followed by one of
our favourite regulars, pianist
John Jenvey (pictured left). As
usual, John captured the audience
with his talent and repertoire of
music. It was a great evening!
Even though the weather wasn’t very kind to us on
bonfire night we managed to set off some of our
fireworks before it took a turn for the worse, which
is more than they managed at St Helens this year.
Our large commercial sky display fireworks were
quite a sight, but, we were hampered somewhat
from setting off some of the smaller ground displays
when the weather worsened. Nevertheless, it was a
good evening and Memoirs soup went down a treat!
On Friday 26th November Willow Court’s Christmas lights ‘switch-on’ went as
planned at 6pm. Lots of residents ventured out into the icy cold evening weather to
view the lights, after warming themselves up first with sherry and mince pies. There
was a good atmosphere and lots of compliments on the new additions to the Christmas
decorations.
Saturday 27th November was Willow Court’s
Christmas Fayre. Father Christmas’ arrival was a
big success with the children, along with the
‘lucky dip’. There were lots of stalls selling a
variety of things from Christmas cards, gifts,
jewellery, handcrafted fabric items, art, silk
pictures, gift tokens and bric-a-brac.
Residents and visitors got into the festive mood
whilst listening to pianist John Jenvey playing
Christmas music on the grand piano and enjoyed
mince pies and mulled wine at Memoirs.
Pictured left: Caroline from Glenmore with her
gifts/vouchers for foot health & Reflexology and
in the background Tracey from Inspirations with
her stall of gifts and hair products.
Christmas Cabaret night got off to a good start
with a delicious festive buffet, everyone
enjoyed themselves, some dancing the night
away, (pictured below right) and others sat
listening to the live six piece Cabaret band.
Pictured below left: some of the band members
(in red shirts) mingling with the residents.
If the Christmas lights ‘switch on’, Christmas Fayre and Christmas Cabaret were not
enough to get everyone into the festive season! the Social Services gathering, singing
Christmas songs and telling Christmas
stories on 8th December and the
‘angelic’ carol singing of Craig-y-Nos
School Choir on 16th December
certainly did the trick. Look out for
more choir singing on 21st December.
(Pictured right: Craig-y-Nos School
Choir)
Forthcoming Events & Entertainment to look forward to
at Willow Court
Piano Bar Evening, 7pm Friday, 28th January – Tickets £2.50
Sit back, relax and enjoy being entertained by pianist John Jenvey
Valentine’s Dinner, 6pm Saturday, 12th February
Memoirs will be serving a special Valentine’s dinner with a choice of:
Two courses £12 or three courses £15
Tea Dance, 2.30 – 4.30pm Friday, 25th February – Tickets £3
Memoirs will be open for afternoon cream tea
Come along and listen to a live Band or dance the afternoon away (dancing
not compulsory, tuition available). A fun afternoon!
St David’s Day Banquet, 6.30pm Tuesday, 1st March £10
Memoirs will be serving a traditional Welsh Banquet
Pancake Tossing Competition, 3.30pm Shrove Tuesday, 8th March
Before and during the competition Memoirs will be serving pancakes with a
choice of tea or coffee £2.50
An opportunity to pit your pancake tossing skills against our current
reigning champions!
St Patrick’s Day Lunch, Thursday, 17th March, £6.85
Memoirs will be serving a two course special St Patrick’s Day lunch
If you would like a repeat performance from any of the above, please let
Elizabeth or Gill know.
Please note: to avoid disappointment, tickets need to be purchased at
least 5 days prior to an event.
It is important to check the notice boards for updates.
Memoirs Bar & Restaurant will be open for the above events.
For further menu information ring 200 (internally) 235200 (externally)
GARDENING/GROUNDS
At Willow Court
we are
prepared for
the winter
weather conditions……
The last time we had snow Willow Court
looked like a picture postcard. Although it
looked beautiful, people still wanted to go
out and about and crushed cockle shells
came to the rescue when there was
shortage of grit; even the local councils
couldn’t get enough grit to cope with the
icy conditions.
In preparation for the next bout of winter
weather conditions, we are pleased to say
that our stockpile of grit is now full to the
brim and we are prepared for the fight
against ice and snow.
For Health and Safety reasons, we urge
residents during snowy and icy conditions
to be cautious, to use the main entrances,
not patio doors. All main entrances will be
gritted.
RELIGIOUS TONES
CHRISTIAN HOUSE GROUP
By Mrs Joan Hirst
How quickly time passes especially as
we get older, once again it is nearly
Christmas, the time when we celebrate
the birth of our Saviour, Lord Jesus
Christ.
Members of the House Group would
like to wish all the staff and residents a
blessed, happy Christmas and New
Year.
Our last meeting in 2010 was on
Wednesday 8th December. Meetings
are usually held fortnightly at 2.30pm
in apartment 30. There will be a break
for Christmas and meetings will resume
on 5th January 2011, when we will
continue to study women of the Bible.
There is an open invitation to all
residents to come and join us, or, if you
would like any further information,
please ring Joan Hirst ext 230.
CARER OF THE YEAR!!!
Massive congratulations to Louise Beynon, who outshone
all other nominees at the South Wales ‘Carer of the Year’
Awards!!
It was a special evening at Sketty Hall as carers from across
South Wales were recognised for their care and devotion.
The evening saw 32 finalists and the overall winner was
Louise Beynon, of Campion Gardens Retirement Village.
This is the second year in a row we have come out on top. Siobhan Westwood was
the successful winner last year and romped home with a huge trophy!
Louise, after 17 years of working in care has been recognised as a person who is truly
devoted to her work, she is loyal and really cares about the service she provides. She
adopts a person-centred care ethos in her work, with which I am sure the apartment
owners who have met her, will agree.
Louise’s efforts and commitment have been recognised within the Company. She is a
valued member of the team and we are proud to have her working at Campion
Gardens Retirement Village.
STORIES & TALES - How times have changed!!!
Tips to look after your husband
(Extract from 1950 Home Economics Book)
Have dinner ready Plan ahead, even the night before to have a delicious meal on time. This is a way of
letting him know that you have been thinking about him and are concerned about his
needs
Prepare yourself Take 15 minutes to rest so you will be refreshed when he arrives. Touch up your makeup, put a ribbon in your hair and be fresh looking.
Clear away the clutter Make one last trip through the main part of the house just before your husband arrives,
gathering up school books, toys, paper etc.
Prepare the children Wash their hands and faces, comb their hair and if necessary change their clothes.
Minimise all noise At the time of his arrival, eliminate all noise of washer and hoover. Encourage the
children to be quiet. Be happy to see him and greet him with a warm smile.
Make him comfortable Have him lean back in a comfortable chair or suggest he lie down in the bedroom.
Have a cool or warm drink ready for him. Arrange his pillow and offer to take off his
shoes. Speak in a low, soft, soothing and pleasant voice. Allow him to relax - unwind.
Listen to him You may have a dozen things to tell him but the moment of his arrival is not the time.
Let him talk first.
Make the evening his Never complain if he does not take you out to dinner or to other places of
entertainment. Instead, try to understand his world of strain and pressure, his need to
come home and relax.
Didn’t realise
The goal -
Try to make your home a place of peace and order where
your husband can renew himself in body and spirit.
Some don’ts Don’t greet him with problems or complaints. Don’t complain
if he is late for dinner. Count this as a minor matter compared
with what he might have gone through that day!
Sorry to all you husbands
out there. Reading this,
you can envy and wish as
much as you like, but, life
will probably never go back
to those days again!!!!
Or…..
Perhaps
you
should
consider
training
the dog!
ladies had it so
hard years
ago; my feet
are killing me!
HEALTH AND BEAUTY
????
We are extremely fortunate at Willow
Court to have our very own resident
Hairdresser (Inspirations) and Foot Health, Reflexologist (Glenmore). So,
when the weather is cold and wet and you feel like having your hair styled
or a bit of pampering on your feet or hands, you don’t even have to step
outside. Both the Hairdressing Salon and Clinic are also open to the public,
but Residents have priority when booking appointments. To book a
hairdressing appointment contact Tracey on 358 (internal) or 235358
(external), Caroline for reflexology can be reached on 281580 (external).
Inspirations
Glenmore
Price List
Gents Cut
Ladies Wet Cut
Cut & Blow Dry
Restyle & Blow Dry
Blow Dry
Shampoo & Set
Cut, Shampoo & Set
Coloured Mousse
Conditioning Treatment
Price List
£8
£12
£22
£27
£14
£14
£22
£1
£4
The prices below include Cut &
Blow Dry
Perm Short Hair
£45
Perm Shoulder Length
£50
Full Head Tint
£42
Highlights
from
£39
Capper Highlights
£35
Willow Court Residents – ask
about discounted rates
Reflexology
Nail Cut
Foot health Treatment
£25
£12
£19
(Nail cut, corn removal,
callous, problem nails,
massage feet)
Mini Pedicure
£15
Ultimate Foot Makeover
(As foot health treatment plus
£28
Pedique Toe Nail Correction
From
£10
£8
(Nail; cut, foot file, massage
feet)
foot soak, scrub, mask
paraffin treatment with hot
booties, massage feet & polish)
Mini Manicure
(Tidy, file & polish)
Deluxe Manicure
£25
Look out for special discounts
for Willow Court Residents
LOOKING
BACK
AT
2010
Some World and National events
January - Haiti disaster, worst earthquake for 200 years.
Coldest weather in UK since 1987 – lead to a shortage of grit.
Rule for MPs to pay back second home expenses.
February - 2010 Winter Olympic games in Vancouver.
March - 50 percent less UK daffodils available due to bad weather.
April - Gulf of Mexico - worst oil spill and environmental disaster in America’s
history.
Air travel stopped in UK and many other countries due to Iceland volcanic ash cloud.
May - Britain has its first hung parliament since 1974.
David Cameron (Conservative) and Nick Clegg (Liberal Democrat) form Britain's first
coalition government since 1945.
Biggest UK lottery jackpot winner £84m surprisingly asked not to be publicly
identified.
June - England's football team had early exit from world cup in South Africa.
Announced in Budget, VAT to be raised to 20 percent from January 2011.
July - Wimbledon Singles winners - Gentlemen's - Rafael Nadal, Ladies - Serena
Williams.
Due to bad weather conditions British Gas made operating profits of £585m for the first
half of 2010 a rise of 98 percent.
August - 33 miners trapped beneath the Chilean desert.
September - Ed Miliband was elected leader of the Labour party defeating his
brother David who also stood.
The Gulf of Mexico oil spill was capped nearly five months after the well blew.
October - Queen Elizabeth luxury liner embarks on maiden voyage from
Southampton to Portugal and the Canary Islands.
The Queen announced this years Christmas party for her staff has been scrapped
because of the difficult financial circumstances facing the country!
Claire Rayner died age 79.
33 miners trapped 69 days beneath the Chilean desert were all brought safely back to
the surface – Chile’s President said the cost was somewhere between $10 & 20 million,
but worth every peso.
Cliff Richard's 70th Birthday and he celebrated 52 years of singing.
November - British couple freed after being kidnapped and held by Somali Pirates
for over 12 months.
Rare pink diamond went on sale in Vancouver, expected to sell for over £15 million.
Prince William and Kate Middleton announced their engagement and wedding plans to
marry next April.
December (up to 10th) – Early winter weather with sub-zero temperatures brought
transport to a stand still, with large parts of the country covered in snow and ice.
England won the second Ashes test match in Adelaide.
STAFF CORNER
An extraordinary story
Many will know Diane who works in
Memoirs at Willow Court; she believes she
isSTAFF
very lucky
to be alive. In 1968 she had to
CORNER
have a life saving operation.
Diane feels not only did she cheat death;
she was blessed with a daughter some years
later.
But, unfortunately, for medical
reasons her daughter Lara was told that she
wouldn’t be able to have any children of her
own, so, Diane didn’t think she would ever
have a grandchild. Amazingly, Lara gave
birth to a son, Joshua now age 3, and made
Diane a very proud grandmother for the
second time in September this year when
she gave birth to a lovely daughter and
called her ‘Laci’.
More proud Grandparents
Alan, our resident Carpenter and his wife
Andrea, a Carer in Willow Court have
also recently become proud grandparents.
Their daughter Kaylee gave birth to a
beautiful baby girl in July and called her
‘Summer Louise’.
It was a double celebration for Andrea;
not only did she become a grandmother
she also qualified as a Podiatrist (A
specialist in foot care).
Well done
Andrea!
Grandparents seem to be looking
younger and younger all the time,
or is it us getting older?
Simon from Memoirs would like to say a big thank you to everyone who sponsored him
to do a sky dive. He raised over £300 which has gone towards the world Tang soo do
Martial Arts Tournament, being held in May 2011, in which he will be competing.
Simon said, “put
your hands in the
air”, (only joking),
“the sky dive was
one of the best
experiences of his
life and he can’t
wait to do it again!”
Simon
CHRISTMAS FUNNIES
Santa‘s lost his
Reindeers!!
Shopping For a Turkey
It was Christmas Eve; a woman in a
supermarket was anxiously picking over
the last few remaining turkeys in the
hope of finding a large one.
In desperation she called over a shop
assistant and said, “excuse me, do these
turkeys get any bigger?
Panic over;
found them!
“No” he replied, “they are all dead”.
Here are eight useful phrases for responding to Christmas
presents you would rather not have received:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Thanks a lot!
My word! What a gift.
Well, well, well ...
If I hadn't put on so much weight recently, it would have fitted me perfectly.
Gosh, I hope I never lose this. We're always losing things around here.
It’s great; but I'm worried about the jealousy it may create.
Just my luck to get this, on the Christmas I promised to donate my gifts to charity
Really, you shouldn't have!
A Christmas Prayer
Just before Christmas, two brothers were spending the night at their Grandma’s
house. At bed time, they knelt down to say their prayers.
As they closed their eyes, one boy said in a loud voice, “Dear Lord, please ask Santa
Claus to bring me a Wii, a telescope and a new bike”
His older brother said, “Why are you shouting? God isn’t deaf.”
“I know,” said his brother, “but Grandma is.”
Three Wise Women
Christmas One Liners
You do know what would have
happened if it had been three
wise WOMEN instead of men,
don't you? They would have
asked for directions, arrived on
time, helped deliver the baby,
cleaned the stable, made a
casserole and taken disposable
nappies as gifts!
Mum, can I please have a cat for Christmas?
No. You'll have turkey, the same us the rest of
us.
What’s the best thing to give your parents for
Christmas? A list of everything you want!
What did the bald man
say when he got a comb
for Christmas?
Thanks, I’ll never part with it!
Who Invented the Christmas Cracker?
Where did such a bizarre Christmas custom originate?
When you stop to think about it, the Christmas Cracker is a
really strange tradition. A tube of card wrapped in paper which
when pulled apart goes "bang" and releases a small treat.
The first crackers were made by Tom Smith of London. Smith was a sweet maker who
used to sell sugar almonds wrapped in twists of coloured paper - these were inspired by
the "bon-bons" he had seen in Paris. To increase sales in his store, he began to include
little mottoes inside, rather like a fortune cookie.
Later on, in 1847, Smith hit upon a method of making the "crack" mechanism. He used
saltpetre which was ignited by friction to produce the bang sound. In order for the
cracking mechanism to fit, the size of the sweet had to be increased. This led to Smith
eventually abandoning the sweets altogether and replacing them with surprise gifts.
This innovation proved very popular and many people wanted to buy them.
Smith originally called his new invention "Cosaques", apparently because the cracking
sound reminded him of the Cossack's whips. However this name gradually faded from
use.
Smith's new crackers continued to grow in popularity and he eventually opened a
factory to manufacture them. In 1953 Tom Smith's company merged with the famous
Caley Crackers.
CHRISTMAS QUIZ
1. What date is St Stephen’s Day?
2. London’s Trafalgar Square Christmas tree is traditionally given
by which country?
3. In what year was Band-Aid’s “Do They Know It’s Christmas”,
the UK Christmas chart-topping record?
4. Which country did St Nicholas come from?
5. From which country does the Poinsettia plant originate?
6. Who wrote Auld Lange Syne?
7. How many points does a snowflake have?
8. What is the name of the cake traditionally eaten in Italy at
Christmas?
9. What is the name of the most famous Christmas ballet?
10. What was the first gift my true love sent on the sixth day of
Christmas?
11. What is the last ghost called in “A Christmas Carol”?
12. What carol contains the word "Fa-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la"?
(Answers on the last page)
How well did you do?
Score
(write answers here)
RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATION
At the Open Meeting held recently concern was expressed over the delay by Swansea
Council in resolving the problems relating to the proposal to re-site the bus stop
outside Campion Gardens and the lack of a permanent ‘Retirement Village’ sign at the
entrance to show the location of Willow Court on site. We understand that these
matters are being pursued, but if there is no progress soon the Association will arrange
a petition of residents to the Council to try and expedite matters.
The Association sends greeting to all residents, staff and management for a happy and
healthy Christmas and New Year.
Max Cadmore,
Hon. Secretary
EDITOR’S DESK
Willow Court’s 2011 calendar was our first one and I am pleased to say has proved to
be quite in demand. Stock is now limited, so don’t miss out!
We would like to say a big ‘thank you’ to all apartment owners who participated in the
National Housing Awards Card Game. Apparently thousands of people took part, we
haven’t heard if we have won anything yet, but Gill said you had some fun playing the
game anyway.
We would also like to take this opportunity to thank you for the many kind words
letters & cards of appreciation sent to us throughout the year for maintenance,
entertainment, care and support.
I’m sure we will continue to work together just as successfully in the year that follows
to make life as enjoyably and happy as possible at Willow Court.
We would like to wish you
all a very Merry Christmas
and a Happy New Year
from Elizabeth, Gill and the
Willow Court Team
Quiz Answers: 1. 26th December
2. Norway 3. 1984 4. Turkey 5. Mexico
6. Robert Burns
7. Six 8. Panettone 9. Nutcracker 10. Six geese a-laying
11. The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come 12. "Deck the Halls"
Editors: Elizabeth Evans and Gill Phillips