The Memory Cafe on February 1st saw one of our largest gatherings since we first opened. Once again we were pleased to greet new guests, as well as welcoming back old friends who we’d missed over the last few months for a variety of reasons, and not forgetting our ‘regulars’ who support us throughout the year! As a result, there was perhaps even more happy chatter than usual as old friends caught up on the news and new members got to know each other. There were, of course, some word puzzles for those who preferred to find a quieter corner and, as Valentine’s Day was fast approaching, there was a small but interesting display about Welsh ‘Lovespoons’ for our members to peruse. Meanwhile, Di was kept busy giving some soothing and relaxing hand massage.
Our theme for the afternoon was a nautical one, and our members were swelled even more by a visit from ‘Oll-an-Gwella’, the wonderful a capella male voice singers from Newquay who entertained us throughout the afternoon with sea songs and shanties – they encouraged everyone to sing along, and there was soon plenty of foot-tapping and clapping as well as some extra voices added to the choir!
A colourful display board of sailing ships, nautical terms and sailors’
knots and tables decorated with a selection of seashells added to the
atmosphere of the afternoon.
Before
the music began, everyone was very interested to hear from two of our guests who
spoke briefly about their naval experiences. We first heard about life on board
ship during the Falklands War of the 1980s and with the aid of maps, charts,
photographs and diaries learnt a compelling
story of war at sea. This was followed
by recollections from an earlier generation – naval experiences from the Second
World War, and a family’s naval tradition that began in the early twentieth
century and continues to the present day. Both of our speakers left us in awe and admiration of the risks and
sacrifices made on our behalf by members of our armed forces, and although our
limited time left plenty of stories untold, there was the opportunity to chat
with them throughout the afternoon and we’re sure that more will be revealed in
the future.
Afternoon
tea took a slightly different form this month, as we welcomed Julie and Brenda
from Wiltshire Farm Foods. The company, based in Falmouth, provides a service
of cooked meals, desserts or afternoon teas delivered to the door of individual
customers, including those with special dietary requirements. They brought a
generous selection of delicious cakes for everyone to sample, whilst our
regular catering ladies kept us supplied with teas and coffees.
A
happy mix of refreshments, music and chatter made the remainder of the
afternoon fly by and all too soon we said ‘farewell’ to the boys from
Oll-an-Gwella who we look forward to welcoming back later in the year. The cafe
closed its doors at 4pm as usual.
February
15th was the date for Memory Cafe Extra, and the first sunny
afternoon for weeks seemed to bring a smile to everyone’s faces. After a chance
to settle in with a cup of tea, and a puzzle or two, all enjoyed watching a classic
episode of ‘Dad’s Army’ and smiles were soon turning to laughter. It was
generally agreed that Captain Mainwaring and his platoon just don’t seem to
age, and afterwards Richard tested our observation with a quiz about the
programme.
After
tea and cakes the giggles began again as we all joined in a communal variation
on the game of ‘Pictionary’. This involved everyone guessing what word was
represented by a picture drawn (or at least attempted!) by someone in the room
– easier said than done, and some of us were definitely more artistic than
others, but it was certainly worth having a go, as there were chocolates to be
won!
As
usual, between the entertainment and the refreshments there was plenty to talk
about, and the afternoon passed quickly – let’s hope the sun is still shining
when we meet again on Monday 7th March at 2pm.
