It’s no secret that this year has been unlike any other. We’ve worked hard to keep our residents safe and we’re grateful we’ve been able to achieve that. It’s thanks to the commitment from our staff, residents and their friends and family. We were blessed with warm and dry weather during late summer, and while [...]

Our dated conservatory was knocked down and has been replaced with a brick-built extension. It means we now have a lovely new lounge area, so the noise and dust were definitely worth it! The new lounge is just receiving some finishing touches, so we’re all looking forward to enjoying the new room soon. To escape [...]

In November, one of our residents, Ted, celebrated his 100th birthday. We had a small party at Octagon, which was hosted by his family and friends. It was quite overwhelming for Ted, as his brother, who he hasn’t seen for a few years, came along too. The wine and beer were flowing, and everyone, including [...]

In October, we took a day trip to Tiptree Jam Factory. We were given a tour of the factory, which was really interesting. And after a look around the museum, we had lunch in the tea room. A very interesting and very delicious day. Yummy. As we said goodbye to the summer, our residents have [...]

The Octagon residents took part in a wonderful music session the other week. A guitarist and a singer came in to entertain us. However, this duo weren’t the only ones performing. They brought in a selection of instruments so the residents could join in. They played a lot of 60s music so it really hit [...]

We’ve been enjoying the garden, when the weather has been kind. Our May Bank Holiday was jam packed with activities, including prize bingo, and arts and crafts. We also watched the film We Bought a Zoo, complete with choc ices during the interval. On 16th June we had our strawberry cream tea garden party, which [...]

Here at the house, our Easter preparations began early with a very therapeutic craft session. Some of the residents spent an afternoon decorating polystyrene eggs and bunnies, which was a real success. They really enjoyed it and it’s something we’re going to do again (although we’ll need to find something less seasonal to paint). Beryl [...]

Despite the plummeting temperatures outside, we’ve kept ourselves warm and snug here at Octagon. Kitty, our eldest resident, celebrated her 105th birthday this month. We all had a lovely afternoon tea, with buffet, cakes and prosecco. Kitty's family, including her granddaughters and great grandchildren, spent the afternoon with her and all the residents. Her family [...]

We held a Christmas party for the residents and families, and everyone had a great time. We had some party food, mulled wine and a raffle finished off the afternoon. Some local preschool children came to visit us and sing carols. After they had sung, they sat and chatted to the residents. It was really [...]

Building work continues at Octagon House so we planned a trip to Buckhatch garden centre in Rettendon Common. The five residents had a chance to look at the vast array of trees and plants, gifts for the home and garden, and all of the Christmas decorations that had recently gone on display. While we were [...]