February 2017 Extra

What an exciting afternoon!  Visitors to our second February Cafe arrived to find the Village Hall full of a fantastic selection of drums and other percussion instruments. Richard introduced everyone to Graham from ‘Drums4Fun’ who, after a brief demonstration of the different sounds and rhythms which his instruments could make, soon had everyone itching to have a go!

With the aid of recordings of familiar songs to help us keep a steady beat, the hall was soon filled with enthusiastic beating, tapping, shaking and rattling.  Graham seemed quite taken aback by everyone’s ability to keep a steady rhythm and his biggest challenge was stopping us at the end of each piece!  We were all soon ‘warmed up’ and expressions of concentration and enjoyment could be seen around the room.

By teatime the sound of drums was ringing in our ears and our ‘tea ladies’ (who said it sounded very good in the kitchen!) were ready to revive us with tea and a delicious selection of cakes which were supplemented this month by samples from home meals providers Wiltshire Farm Foods.

As usual, there were word puzzles and a quiz to ponder over, all appropriately with a musical theme.

A relaxed, friendly and entertaining afternoon was over too soon and we look forward to our next meeting.

Crantock Memory Cafe is open to anyone in the local area concerned about memory loss. Our next meetings will be held at Crantock Village Hall on Monday 6^th March and Monday 20^th March from 2pm – 4pm. We are always pleased to welcome new members, with their carers, and should you need further information ring Di on 01637 830544 or Joan on 01637 831347. 

February 2017

Once again a wet and dreary Monday afternoon was brightened up for visitors to our cafe. Colourful flowers on the table helped to lift the spirits, and very soon a room full of chattering guests were busy puzzling over a musical quiz or a word-search, and the rain on the window was forgotten!

Our entertainer for the afternoon was ‘Just Jeff’, a talented singer, guitarist and clarinettist. We were soon listening to and singing along with a wide variety of songs ranging from old time musicals, through standards of the 30s and 40s to rock and roll from the 50s and 60s. Jeff kept everyone engaged with fascinating anecdotes and facts about some of the music and the performers, and tested everyone’s memories with a short quiz.

A break for afternoon tea gave everyone the chance to have a second look at the puzzled on the tables in between mouthfuls of some really delicious homemade cakes!

After refreshments Jeff continued on his musical journey through the decades and there was plenty of hand-clapping and swaying amongst the audience and even a little hand-jive and dancing where space allowed!

The performance concluded with some wonderful Gershwin on the clarinet, and an opportunity to brush up our rhythm skills on a variety of percussion instruments as we accompanied Jeff playing Kenny Ball’s ‘Midnight in Moscow’.

Having checked out our answers to the puzzles, thanks and enthusiastic applause were given to Jeff who we look forward to seeing again in the future.

Crantock Memory Cafe is open to anyone in the local area concerned about memory loss. Our next meetings will be held at Crantock Village Hall on Monday 20^th February and Monday 6^th March from 2pm – 4pm. We are always pleased to welcome new members, with their carers, and should you need further information ring Di on 01637 830544 or Joan on 01637 831347. 

January 2017 Extra

We’ve had plenty of gloomy, chilly days this January, so at our mid-month cafe it was an ideal time to take our minds off the weather with talk of holidays and warmer climates.

After a chance for a chat or to have a go at our word puzzles and a quiz, Richard and Joan Greenwood presented an illustrated talk on ‘The Arabian Gulf and India’. To create an atmosphere there were even bowls of Bombay Mix on each table for everyone to nibble. The talk was based around a fascinating cruise which they undertook last Autumn. With the aid of a wonderful selection of souvenirs, maps, and photographs which were taken during their expedition, Richard took us on a ‘virtual’ journey beginning in Oman and travelling via the spectacular skyscrapers of Dubai across the Strait of Hormuz to the west coast of India. Arriving at Ghandi’s birthplace of Porbander, Richard then took us south to the busy streets of Mumbai (formerly Bombay) and finally via Goa to the southerly tip of the country, the region of Kerala, which he described as the Indian equivalent of the Norfolk Broads! Everyone was totally engaged by photos and descriptions of temples and churches, towns and countryside, occupations and history.

We were all envious of interesting experiences, and at teatime there was plenty of talk about our own holiday adventures – both those already taken and plans for future trips. Refreshments were accompanied by the distribution of copies of the reminiscent ‘Sparkle’ magazine, sponsored by the Bowgie, which visitors were invited to take away with them to peruse at leisure back at home.

After tea, Joan introduced a representative from Cornwall Rural Community Charity who gave an informative talk on ‘Energy Saving’. She explained how we can all become more energy efficient and save on our fuel bills. Helpful booklets and contact numbers were distributed and we all appreciated her very practical advice.

The afternoon ended with a chance to compare our answers to the quiz and thanks were given to all our guest speakers for an interesting and thought-provoking afternoon.

The doors of Crantock Memory Cafe will open again on Monday 6^th February and Monday 20^th February at Crantock Village Hall from 2pm – 4pm. New members are always welcome and should you need further information ring Di on 01637 830544 or Joan on 01637 831347.