At New Copford Place, the Colchester-based residential care home run by charity Friends of the Elderly, the residents and care team put their Blue Suede Shoes to work as they celebrated the charity’s 120th Anniversary with a 1950s community ‘Bop’ party.
On Saturday 9th August, the care home went back in time to the ‘Rockin’ 50s’ and hosted a free ‘Jitterbugging’ party and summer BBQ. “To celebrate Friends of the Elderly’s landmark 120th Anniversary, we hosted a ‘hip’ and ‘groovy’, inclusive and accessible summer community event,” said Daniel Sabau, the Registered Manager at the care home.
“The residents thoroughly enjoyed the ‘cool’ event and loved chatting with our guests from the local community,” added Chelsey Leather, the care home’s Activities Coordinator. “The idea for the 1950s extravaganza came from one of our regular reminiscing sessions. The residents adore all genres of music, but the rock n’ roll songs of the 50s are a firm favourite, so they decided that was the theme of the event they wanted to go with.”
“To get the party started, the residents and care team pulled out all the stops and dressed in their 1950s best,” added Jaz McDade, New Copford Place’s Deputy Manager. “There were plenty of full, petticoated Poodle skirts, head scarves and smart, sharp suits. Everyone made a fantastic effort and looked so great, they would have easily fitted into a 1950s drive in or a classic American Soda Shop.
New Copford Place’s beautiful gardens were transformed into a 50s pleasure park, with a host of garden games for guests to enjoy. “There was a Tombola with lots of prizes which visitors and residents had fun winning, a paddling pool with traditional hook rods for ‘Hook A Duck’, games of Giant Jenga and Quoits and the classic summer attraction ‘Splat the Manager’,” continued Jaz.
Everyone at the care home’s 120th Anniversary spectacular enjoyed a delicious 1950s themed BBQ, refreshments, tasty deserts – including the summer staple of Strawberries and Cream – and cooling ice creams from the Whip It Like Webber ice cream van.
“We had the brilliant Natalie Edgoose and Les Simmons, who are better known as Cornflower Acoustic, performing a great selection of 1950s hits and chart toppers,” added Chelsey. “Cornflower Acoustic got everyone up and dancing to well-known and much loved 50s songs including Jailhouse Rock, Rock Around The Clock, Tutti Frutti and Rock-In Robin to name but a few.”
“We all had a wonderful time celebrating Friends of the Elderly’s 120th Anniversary and seeing old friends and welcoming new friends to New Copford Place. It really was a perfect day and a great chance for everyone at the care home to spend a lovely day together with their families, friends and members and our local community,” concluded Daniel.
