The space outside Catherine House Care Home, located in the centre of Frome, was filled with stalls, games, animals and plenty to eat during the home’s summer fete. With the sun out and people coming and going throughout the afternoon, there was rarely a quiet corner to be found.
Family members, as residents are fondly referred to, were not simply watching from the sidelines.
Ruby and her daughter Jackie ran a puzzle and book stall, while Barbara and her daughter sold jewellery handmade by Barbara herself. Nora was joined by her daughter and granddaughter for their stall, which raised an impressive £184 that the family kindly donated to Catherine House.
Home Administrator Kim Viner’s niece, Imogen, arrived with homemade dog treats to sell. Her stall proved so popular that Activities Coordinator Sharon Chard has already told her the same spot will be waiting whenever the home holds another market. It seems the dogs of Frome now have their own reason to look forward to the next one!
Twinnies Petting Farm, which has visited Catherine House several times before, brought along some familiar four-legged faces. Barbara was particularly taken with the miniature pony and began talking about the farm where she once lived and the animals she remembered from those days.
There was plenty happening away from the animal pens too. Maintenance team member Paul ran the fete games, including a tin-can challenge with bags of sweets up for grabs. Kim’s daughter Macey managed to hit the cans and Paul at the same time, which made the game look so entertaining that more children soon came over for a turn. Paul, thankfully, survived his unexpected role as part of the target.
A stilt walker from Wiltshire-based Stilt Walkers UK towered over proceedings and stopped for photographs with family members Jean and Pam. Bath Cats and Dogs Home also joined the fete, alongside local stallholders and returning friends of Catherine House.
An old-fashioned ice cream bicycle attracted plenty of attention after being donated to the home and repaired ready for the day. Julian supplied the ice cream and cones, while the team decorated the bicycle with flowers before sending it out into the garden.
The sight of it brought memories flooding back for Barbara, who recognised it as the kind of bicycle she had bought ice cream from as a child. Before long, she was sharing stories with her daughter and the team, with a few tears mixed in before everyone had even chosen their ice cream.
Sharon kept people fed with burgers and hot dogs from the barbecue, accompanied by cakes, tea and coffee. The home’s sweet cart was run by former team member Hayley and Kirsty, who returned to lend a hand, while Sharon’s grandchildren Josh and Sophia helped to keep the Catherine House stall going.
The area remained busy throughout the afternoon as people browsed the stalls, met the animals and stopped for something to eat. One visiting member of the public remarked on how good the home’s events were after seeing the fete for themselves, which, given the miniature pony, homemade dog treats and man walking around several feet above everyone else, was difficult to argue with.
To find out more about activities and events at Catherine House Care Home, please visit
https://catherinehousecarehome.com/activities-in-care-frome-care-home/