Vintage Vehicles, A Spitfire Plane, 1940s Dancing And Ration Book Food Brings Wartime Nostalgia To Residents At Essex Care Home

Care UK’s Silversprings care home was transformed into a scene from 1940s Britain with wartime singing, dancing and traditional celebrations last Saturday.

The day included patriotic sing-alongs of wartime classics, led by The Swingtime Sweethearts, dance performances from local group, the Air Raid Jive, and a parade from The Suffolk Regiment Living History Society, who camped in the grounds over the weekend using authentic WWII equipment.

There were also shopping opportunities in the ‘WWII Village’ and nostalgic culinary displays of 1940s recipes from re-enactor, Jacqui Leppert. The highlight for many on the day however, was the array of vintage vehicles showcased in the home’s gardens – and a Spitfire MKII plane. Local people joined care home residents, relatives and colleagues for a fascinating and entertaining day out.

Silversprings home manager, Donna Cousins, said: “Here at Silversprings, we regularly host reminiscence activities and events for residents, as many of them have fond memories of their younger years and have stories they love to share. We had a fantastic day taking a step back in time to wartime Britain.  A personal highlight for me, was seeing the looks on the faces of our younger visitors, as they watched the Suffolk Regiment’s parade – it was certainly reminiscent of how children may have reacted in WWII and gave the residents plenty to chat about afterwards.”

“I would like to say a huge thank you to the team here at Silversprings who helped to put this wonderful event together, and to all of our special guests and attendees who made the day such a brilliant occasion.”