Brampton View

November 2016

What’s Inside Activities Photo Album 2

Oomph! Spotlight 5

Those Were The Days 6

Staff & Resident Photos 7

Bowling Champion 7

What’s Ahead 8

Film Review 9

Resident Spotlight 10

Dates for Your Diary 11

Employee Spotlight 12

Puzzle of the Month 13

Manager’s Corner 14

Welcome!

Take a look inside for more

information on upcoming

events and home news as well

as to see some lovely photos

and content submitted by our

residents.

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Photo Exhibition Here we have a selection of photos of some of the moments we’ve shared this past month.

This month we celebrated

Grandparents’ Day, had a

visit from owls and had an

interesting talk on transportation.

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Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

We celebrated Mad Hatter’s

Day in style with an

afternoon tea, quizzes,

games and all the beloved

characters.

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October Bonanza: Hallowe’en Party

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Featured Wishing Wells

Aunty Win wished to have a blue dress like her friend Angela. They had a wonderful time

dressing up as Alice for our Mad Hatter’s tea party. Ettie’s wish to see more animals came true

with a visit from Tony and his owls this month.

Oomph! Spotlight This month’s theme is appreciation! Please let us know if you have any songs that

you love for our next session. Join us on any of the many sessions

throughout the building as listed on your

programme.

Weekly sessions are held in the Meadows

Lounge every Thursday at 11am and in the

Signal Walk Lounge every Tuesday at 11am.

Multiple sessions are scheduled for Valley

Mews throughout the week.

Our

Halloween

themed Oomph!

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Childhood Days

My memories of childhood are often of particular incidents. So I shall describe a few of these reminiscences here and hope you enjoy reading them.

When I was quite a small child of about 4 or 5, my dad took me for a ride on the crossbar of his bicycle. It was quite common for children to do that in those days, though I imagine it would be frowned upon now. It was around 1936 and we lived in Harrow, Middlesex.

I guess we went out to the countryside near Ruislip: the area was more green and less built-up then. We stopped by a huge field (well, huge to my eyes, anyway) and this was full of the most glorious buttercups. Dad put me over the wire fence and I picked an enormous bunch of these pretty little flowers. Nothing much I know but they seemed so special to me somehow.

I can remember so clearly how this felt: the warm, loving glow of being with my dear dad, the excitement of going out on a “treat” and the sheer happiness of being among all those flowers. Field upon field of bright yellow flowers. I was still excited when we arrived home and my mum sorted out jam jars so I could put all the buttercups in water. I was such a happy little child that day.

And thoughts and images connect, don't they? Some years later, my husband and I were walking in woods at Longleat in Wiltshire and were surrounded by a mass of bluebells. Such a gorgeous and colourful scene. Then we came to white, wild garlic. It was like walking in snow. As I recalled these occasions recently to write this, the memory traces of those earlier experiences in the buttercup field came flooding back, bringing it all to life again.

In this edition, Pat Cross recalls some incidents from her childhood in the 1930s. She especially tries to describe how these memories evoke feelings, so making a lasting impression. Enjoy....

Memoir Edition

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Unfortunately, we got lost among the bluebells and white flowers!! My husband eventually found a way out but it was a long way from where we came in. Funnily enough, I read later in a magazine an old superstition that if you walk in a bluebell wood and tread on any flowers, the 'nature spirits' will make you lose your way. So, we must have trodden on some bluebells and the nature spirits had their revenge!

Again, back in the 30s, we had a good-sized garden and my dad used to grow vegetables. It was very common for people to grow vegetables in their gardens in those days; I hardly hear of it now. I can still remember picking off the caterpillars and the white butterfly eggs and squashing them. Yuk!! Strange how you remember little things like that, isn't it? Each side of our front garden path, there were Ice Plants

growing. The flowers were a mauve-pink colour, very pretty, and they attracted a great many butterflies. There were Tortoiseshells, Red Admirals, Peacocks and Commas – a wonderful display. Our next door neighbours, Nora and Mac, used to let me go into their garden every so often to play with their dogs – Chum, a collie, and Beauty, a Samoyed, a most beautiful white dog (see photo). They were both such gentle animals. Well, there was an ornamental fish pond in their garden, with a wide edge to it, which I used to play near. Unfortunately, one day my foot slipped into the water and I killed one of their best goldfish! So, Pat definitely wasn't the flavour of the month! These are just a couple of the memories of my childhood days; fleeting, isolated recollections but ones which evoke for me a host of feelings and connections. It's always good to remember.

Pat Cross

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Staff and Residents’

Monthly Photographs

In Memory

We would like to say goodbye to Marita

Sarjeant, Joyce Fitchett, William

Mattock, William Dowsett, Anne North

and Margaret Sketchley. You are greatly

missed.

‘Those we love can never be more than a

thought apart.

For as long as there’s a memory, they live on in

our heart.’

We will always cherish the memories.

Our November

Bowling Champion is

Mary Rands Allen (complete with Hallowe’en

mask!)

Congratulations!

Join us for our next tournament in November

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This is a great film, depicting the effect of the mine closures under Margaret Thatcher and the devastation it caused in many families. It presents a superb mix of economics, social comment and music, all skilfully interwoven in a story which is as moving as it is credible. Although fictitious, it's a very believable story, especially if you remember this period in the 1980s. The small Yorkshire town of Grimley has long been dominated by the coal mine where most of the men work, and the town's greatest source of pride is the Grimley Colliery Band. But word has it that the mine may soon close down, which could be the death sentence for the town...and the band.

The basic theme of Brassed Off is both extremely worthy and quite unusual in the way the film focuses on the colliery band rather than the economic plight of the locals. The band depends on the colliery yet has a special life of its own. By doing this, Brassed Off manages to inject both humour and a dash of real-life into an otherwise grim situation.

Many of the funny moments stem from the direct, unpretentious dialogue, with the characters making as much fun of themselves as others. This is a great aid to the film because it both sets the scene and gives the ro les a touch of realism.

The real achievement of Brassed Off is the casting, with a number of fine character actors making an appearance. Pete Postlethwaite dominates the movie as the single-minded conductor and is the most completely drawn figure. With the infamous mining disease of "black lung" bringing Postlethwaite to his knees, he is the character we most care about. Unfortunately, I felt many of the minor characters were under-developed, which makes their behaviour seem arbitrary at times.

A rewarding aspect of the film is how effectively the brass band tunes are integrated into the story. Cropping up everywhere from rehearsals to the Albert Hall, they prove to be quite affecting, even if you don't especially like this type of music. The real-life Grimethorpe Colliery Band performs brilliantly on the soundtrack.

Brassed Off is well worth seeing.

John Verity

John's film review of Brassed Off (1996)

Director: Mark Herman 103 mins Rating 4/5 Stars

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November Events and Activities

NEWS Vision Call will be in this

month on Wednesday the

2nd

For more information, please

ask the Senior Carers.

Sat 5th 2.30pm- Bonfire Night Celebration

Tues 8th 2:30pm- Neil’s Exercises

Wed 9th 2.30pm- Robert’s Reminiscence

Thurs 10th 5.30pm – Sing Along with Mick

Thurs 17th 11am & 2.30pm- Bread Baking Day Sessions

Mon 21st 2.30pm- Shopping with Truly Gifted

Thurs 24th 2.30pm- Thanksgiving Pie Social

Sat 26th 11am- Pottery Painting

Sun 27th 2.30pm- Making Advent Calendars

Interesting

Facts about this month

November’s birthstone is the

topaz and its flower the

chrysanthemum.

“If there’s ice in November to bear a duck, There’ll be nothing

after but sludge and muck,” (Old

weather saying).

Since 1845 all US presidential elections have been held by

statute on the first Tuesday after

the first Monday in November in

years divisible by four.

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Resident Spotlight

This month’s spotlight is on Bonnie Leeming!

Where did you grow up?

Lancashire

What is your fondest memory?

The day I got married.

I also enjoyed going out on the Norfolk Broads.

What is one thing you are really good at?

I really enjoyed dressmaking and needlework. I

always made my own clothes.

What is your favourite season and why?

Anytime the weather is good! I like Spring and

Summertime especially.

A piece of advice to share…

Find a good partner, enjoy life and work hard.

Feedback Thank you for the helpful feedback this past month. We

love hearing from you all. Any questions comments or

concerns, please drop us a note at reception or by post.

Thank you!

Many thanks,

Brampton View staff

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Poppies for Sale!

Residents have been working

hard on handmade poppies

again this year! You can buy

yours at Reception for £3.

Remembrance

Observances

Armistice Day Nov. 11th:

11am -

Wreath Laying and 2 minutes of

silence in the Signal Walk Lounge

4pm-

Wartime music by Peter Wayre in

the Signal Walk Lounge

Remembrance Sunday 13th:

2.30pm-

Remembrance Day Service with

the Reverend Trott in the Signal

Walk Lounge

You’re invited to…

Brampton View’s Memory

Café

Our afternoon will include

socialising over tea and

cakes. Come along and bring

a friend or two!

Thursday, 10th November 2-

4PM

Operation Christmas

Child Packing Party

November 14th, 2.30PM

We have been collecting items to

send to children this Christmas and

will be wrapping boxes and packing

them! Please join us for a fun afternoon of giving back.

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Residents

We would like to wish

Happy Birthday to:

Mary Rands Allen 9th

Ann Bryant 19th

Violet Lansbury 20th

Whylie Dunk 23rd

Norman Chown 29th

Monthly Party

This month’s birthday

celebration will be:

2:30PM

November 28th

in the

Signal Walk Lounge

with music by Mick

•••••••••••• Bright ideas •••••••••••• If you have suggestions of things to do or places to go please let us know. We love getting suggestions! If you are a Resident who would like to share your ideas to a group, please visit this month’s Resident/Activity Meeting on Monday, 7

th 2:30PM in the Signal Walk Lounge.

Birthdays this month!

Employee Spotlight:

The employee of the month is Jenny

Warden!

Jenny has worked in Activities at

Brampton View for 3 years & 2

months.

She was born in the

Northamptonshire village called Old.

Jenny has a twin brother, Jonathan

and a sister, Susan. Her hubby is

Clive. Her daughter Holly will be 30

on Christmas Eve.

Jenny enjoys going to car boot sales,

reading, crafts and loves travel-

especially in Scotland.

Her favourite books are by Barbara

Erskin and she enjoys psychological

thriller films.

Thank you, Jenny for all you do!

Jenny and Resident, Ellen

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1. Colour the picture in to reveal a pretty autumnal bird associated

with American Thanksgiving and Christmas.

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Brampton View Care Home

Brampton Lane, Chapel Brampton, Northampton

NN6 8GH

Tel: 01604 850700

bramptonview@brighterkind.com

brampton-view.brighterkind.com

www.brighterkind.com/colinton

Manager’s Note

Hello,

I hope you have enjoyed reading this month’s Brampton Update. I am pleased to say

that we managed to raise £41.87 for Breast Cancer Research at our Pink Day party and

£34.35 at our Macmillan coffee morning.

Preparations are under way for Christmas already with our Christmas cake baking

sessions this month and our Christmas Bazaar planned for Saturday, December 3rd

2-

5pm. We would love for you to join in the fun, so please mark the Bazaar into your

Also make a note of our next relatives’ meeting. The month has flown by and it is now

time for us to meet again. We will be meeting on Wednesday, November 16th

at 6pm. I

look forward to seeing you all soon. Thanks to all who made the last relatives’ meeting

such a success.

Kind regards,

Andrea Goodall

Would you like to review us on carehome.co.uk?

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with others. Reviews can be made by a resident, relative or friend. Simply go

online or ask a member of the team for a card.