Care Home Turns the Clock Back for an Afternoon of Vintage

Birchwood House, the Tunbridge Wells-based care home, has turned the clocks back for an afternoon of vintage 1940s fun at the request of its residents. The event was marked by fabulous vintage-styled live entertainment, historically-themed displays, and nostalgic taste of wartime Britain.

The 1940s-inspired Tea Dance, which took place on the afternoon of 24th March, saw the stunning former manor home transformed with decorations that allowed residents to relive history and included a backdrop of Union Jacks, retro sweets, and propaganda newspapers.

From the music and the films to the fashion in vogue, the 1940s was one of the most memorable decades in history. The staff at Birchwood House, embraced their characters and dressed in ‘dapper’ outfits to fit in with the theme. The nostalgic playlist of live singer ‘Vintage Ruby’ – who provided a touch of 1940s glamour and sang top hits from this era – allowed the residents to dance the afternoon away and experience a taste of days gone by.

The tables were dressed to recreate the sights and sounds of the fabulous 40s and residents dined on a 1940s-inspired ‘afternoon tea’ buffet, all of which were prepared by the care home chef, Elia. On hand were propaganda newspapers, whilst themed games and activities were also on offer for those who wanted to get involved.

Birchwood House hosts a number of events throughout the year and has managed to continue to successfully run these throughout the pandemic, including a Medieval-themed summer party and Mad Hatter’s Tea party. Each event is meticulously planned with the residents at the heart of all they do. The theme for this event was specifically chosen by the residents at Birchwood House and is extremely sentimental allowing them to turn the clock back to wartime Britain.

Claire Tye, deputy manager of Birchwood House, comments:
“The 1940s Tea Dance afternoon was selected by the residents themselves this year. For many of the residents this was like turning the clocks back to their early, happiest memories.
“Everybody looked absolutely fantastic and Vintage Ruby was incredible. Most of the residents were up on their feet dancing away to the sounds of the 1940’s.”