Wardside Gazette No. 40
January 2014 · Editor: Resident Margery Neill and Resident Andrew Hodge
Happy New Year wishes to everyone
And
‘Lang may your lums reek’
New Residents:
We welcomed Mrs Minnie Rimmer from Braco as a permanent resident last month and we hope, Minnie, you are settling in and getting to know us all. For a period of respite we also welcomed Mrs. Mary Stuart from Perth and hope she enjoys her stay and benefits from it.
Birthday Wishes are sent to Frank Baillie who celebrated a birthday last month and we wish Frank many happy returns of the day.
Deaths:
We were sorry to learn of four deaths last month. Dr. Elizabeth Sloan who had been a resident for almost three years and would have been 99 years of age last month, Mrs Ellen McFarlane who had been resident for nine months and would have been 99 years of age this month, Dr. Sheila Gray, aged 86, who had been resident for 2 years, and Mrs. Pat Pettifer, who passed away in hospital, was aged 93 years, and had been a resident for 2 years.
Our thoughts and sympathy go out to their respective families and relations.
On a lighter note, the month of December had much to offer in the way of entertainment.
The Muthill Primary School Children treated us to a variety of songs appropriate to the season on Friday 13th and were excellent.
A Tea Party was held on the same afternoon for Caroline Burns on her retirement from caring duties.
The Staff Children’s Party on Sunday 15th was, as always, a pleasant afternoon watching them playing children’s games and of course ‘passing the parcel’.
The Muthill Pre-School Children visited us on the morning of Monday 16th and were marvelous. They sung their songs so earnestly and with appropriate actions.
The Musical Afternoon on Tuesday 17th was a great success when we were entertained by a man and wife team known as ‘Light and Bright’ from ‘Music in Hospitals’. The wife was the singer and accompanied by the husband on a keyboard. From the start, she invited us to join in if we wished and entertained us with a mixed repertoire of well known classics, songs from the films and, of course, Scottish songs. The husband demonstrated his expertise with two solo items on the keyboard and was obviously a very accomplished musician.
Christmas Eve:
Shortly after tea, many of the residents gathered in the Large Lounge for an evening of carol singing which was kindly led by Mr. and Mrs. Burt with a number of their neighbours. It was an appropriate and enjoyable evening. Although we didn’t know at the time, the customary pianist could not attend and at short notice Mr. and Mrs Alexander’s daughter, who was visiting, very kindly undertook that very necessary accompaniment.
Christmas Day:
At mid-day a short Communion Service was conducted by members of the local church. It was followed by a sumptuous Christmas Lunch with soup, turkey with all the trimmings, and Christmas pudding. And, of course, fancy hats were worn and Christmas crackers pulled with the usual surprise on finding the contents.
A little snippet and compliment to Wardside House:
After we were entertained by the Muthill Primary School children on Friday 13th, they were treated, to their delight, with unlimited bags of crisps, biscuits and Coco Cola etc. and one little boy was overheard to say “I wish I stayed here!”
Well, the residents who do ‘stay here’, can confirm that, as well as being well fed, we are exceptionally well cared for and our appreciation and thanks are expressed to Wardside House management and to all of the staff.
The Joy Fund:
The sale of Christmas Cards raised £33 and Christmas Raffle raised £77 making a grand total of £110 for allocation to the Joy Fund.
Finally, an Editors’ note:
This issue of the ‘Gazette’ is No.5/01 and indicates that it is the first issue in the fifth year of its production. We hope you have found all previous issues to have been informative and of interest in various topics interspersed with a little humour. However it would helpful at times to include an interesting story or incident that residents, or members of staff, have in fact experienced in the past and would be willing to share it with us all. Write it if you can or just tell one of us your story and we will put it together in words for your approval before printing. Meantime, we wish you all ‘the very best for 2014’.
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Stop Press News:
If you have not already heard, our Deputy Manager Margaret MacGregor is now a happy grandmother. Her daughter has given birth to a baby girl named Isla and both are well.
Wardside House, Muthill, Crieff, Perthshire PH5 2AS.Tele. No: 01764 681 275www.wardsidehouse.com