Residents at Ivybank House Care Home in Bath were transported back to 1945 as they commemorated the 80th anniversary of VE Day with a series of special events designed to honour the historic occasion.
The commemorations featured a VE Day Celebration Buffet complete with traditional 1940s fare, while residents enjoyed nostalgic tunes from the war years by artists such as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and the Andrews Sisters. Residents and the caring team sang and danced along as they marked the emotional anniversary, and they recalled the war years with Ivybank’s VE Day celebration quiz.
Particularly poignant was the participation of the home’s residents with direct memories of the original VE Day. Ivybank House is home to 15 residents who were aged 10 or older when victory in Europe was declared on 8th May 1945. All enjoyed sharing their recollections in the home’s VE Day reminiscence session, with one resident recalling the ‘scary’ Blitz attack in Bath when they were only nine years old. Another resident remembered having to go to school carrying a gas mask alongside her lunch box. To this day she remains fearful of wearing anything on her face.
The care home also hosted a successful ‘Time for a Cuppa’ fundraising event, which raised £250 for Dementia UK. Councillor Alison Born, Cabinet Member for Adult Services and Public Health representing Widcombe and Lyncombe, attended the event and planted a magnolia tree in the Ivybank gardens to mark the occasion.
Andrew Pow, Ivybank House home manager, said:
“Our VE Day celebrations were a wonderful opportunity to honour the incredible generation who lived through the war years. Seeing our residents share their memories with such pride and joy was truly moving. Events like these are vital in preserving important historical moments while creating new meaningful experiences for our residents today.” Ivybank House is a 43-bed care home in Bath providing a range of high-quality care services, including residential, dementia, respite and day care for residents. The home has earned an outstanding 9.9/10 rating on carehome.co.uk, the leading care home review site.