Thorrington care home residents celebrate VE Day with party

Residents living at Silversprings, in Tenpenny Hill, Thorrington, celebrated the 76th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day earlier this month.

Adorned with flags, balloons, and homemade bunting for the occasion, the care home’s special event saw residents reminisce and mark the historic milestone.

They enjoyed tea and ice cream and were also treated to a socially distanced performance of their favourite 1940’s songs from AJ Voice and Keys.

The event also helped the likes of resident Violet Pilgrim, 99 the big street parties which used to take place outside her house.

She worked in a canteen throughout the war and for her VE Day marked an incredibly special moment in her life as well as the lives of everyone who fought in the war.

“I was so happy; you could really feel everyone had a huge sense of relief,” added Violet.

Joanne Rix, home manager at Silversprings, said although VE Day was 76 years ago, many of her residents remembered it like it was yesterday.

She said: “Many of them were still children at the time, so VE Day marked the beginning of a more worry-free childhood, while some residents remember being reunited with family members who had gone to war.

“Needless to say, this was an emotional time, which we all felt during our celebrations, even decades later.

“We had a wonderful time hosting our very own party for residents, and it was great to hear some heart-warming stories.

“Events like these are a wonderful way to encourage reminiscence, which can be really beneficial for older people, especially those living with dementia.

“We’d like to say a big thank you to residents for sharing their memories with us; they reminded us just how lucky we were not to have experienced a conflict of this scale.”