Beach Lawns celebrate Charles Dickens

A Sanctuary Care home in Weston-super-Mare enjoyed page-turning fun this week, as the team and residents celebrated Charles Dickens’ 204th birthday.

There was drama and costume changes as Beach Lawns Residential and Nursing Home in Beach Road celebrated the biography of well-known English writer and social critic Charles Dickens, whose birthday was 7 February 1812.

Rejoicing some of the world’s best-known fictional characters, the team hosted a celebratory tea party fitting for arguably one of the greatest novelist of the Victoria era, where the team dressed as well-known characters and in traditional Victorian dress.

Residents also enjoyed short readings from a selection of Charles’ famous titles including Bleak House, Christmas Carol and Oliver Twist, where the team acted out famous scenes.

85-year-old resident Marjorie Buckley said: “Oh I loved the celebration, the acting was wonderful and really brought the stories to life.”

Fellow resident Ronald Burton, who was 95 three days ago, agreed: “I really enjoyed the readings, especially Oliver Twist – it was like he was in the room, everyone was in great character.”

Birthday party refreshments were also enjoyed, including mouth-watering cake.

The Sanctuary Care home’s activities assistant concluded: “We all had such a wonderful day, residents loved all the fancy dress and could remember many of the stories – the costumes and readings proved to be a wonderful reminiscence activity as it brought back many memories of when the residents were younger and enjoying many of Charles’ novels when they were children or with their own children.”

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