Lots of Fun at our Summer Fayre

At Trinity House Care Home in Edinburgh, we have been having a fabulous summer, making the most of all the opportunities to be out in the fresh air enjoying the warmth and sunshine. When the sun gets too hot or doesn't shine at all, we have plenty going on inside our home to keep our minds and bodies active with our varied activities.

Recently, we held our Summer Fayre and could not have wished for better weather. After a few tense moments during the morning when dark clouds threatened to cast a shadow over the proceedings, the sky turned blue and the sunshine was smiling upon us by lunchtime, just in time for the opening of the Fayre at 14:00pm.

We had a lovely afternoon all together, and as residents, relatives, and friends alike gathered, there was a real sense of fun in the air. However, the real joy came from the fact that, after two long and difficult years of living with Covid and all the restrictions that it has put upon us, we were finally able to open our doors and welcome everyone in the local community to Trinity House again.

We had a bric-a-brac stall that was overflowing with interesting items, and a raffle with amazing prizes to be won, including champagne and other drinks, a hamper, a meal for two at a local restaurant, knitwear, and other goodies.

One of the most popular stalls was the tombola where, if you were lucky, you could win anything from a tin of soup or a jar of beetroot to a litre of vodka or whisky!

The plant stall was popular too and we must thank Debbie, one of our Senior Carers who is a talented gardener, for manning the stall on the day and also for potting up and providing many of the actual plants we had on offer.

The highlight for many, young and old, was the bouncy Castle which Kerry, Head of Housekeeping, had organised. Luckily this had been delivered the previous evening so there had been plenty of time for team members – including our manager Angela – to have a lot of fun testing it out. On the day though, it was the children who stole the show on the bouncy castle, making all of us envious of their energy!

Another energetic guess was Ralph the dog, who kept everyone amused for three hours with his balloon tricks and playing football with the youngsters. It's safe to say we had tired him out by the end of the day and he went home for a well-deserved nap.

Throughout the day we were all fed and watered by our fantastic Kitchen Team, who as always provided us with a fantastic dining experience. There were plenty of hamburgers, hot dogs, and sweet treats to cater to everyone’s tastes. A huge thank you must go out to our great team in the kitchen. They always put so much effort into making everything so special.

For those who were still hungry, the café bar was the place to be. Diana, our Hairdresser, was in charge of teas, coffees and other drinks as well as a wide selection of cakes and biscuits. Many thanks to one of our relatives who brought in some absolutely delicious homemade baklava.

We also had a lovely surprise when the driver of a passing ice cream noticed that there was a Fayre going on and stopped to offer everyone free ice cream. This was a very kind and generous thing to do and it is refreshing to know how much goodwill exists in our society.

Wherever Kerry is involved, we know that water will feature prominently! And no outside event at Trinity House would be complete without a ‘water fight’ for those who wanted to take part. This was a great treat for the young ones (and not so young ones!) and of course, Ralph too.

The whole afternoon ended after Elvis entered the building and entertained us for over an hour. This is not his first visit to Trinity House and everyone always enjoys singing along to many of the songs which helped to make Elvis the unique entertainer that he was.

At Trinity House Care Home, we highly value every opportunity we get to socialise and bond with one another, as well as build relationships with those in our community. Friends and family of our residents are friends and family of Trinity House and we look forward to being able to welcome everyone back with open arms at our next event.