100-year-old former ARP Warden delighted by St David's Day fun at Rugby care home

Residents were delighted by the day's activities.

Celebrations were under way at Overslade House Care Home in Rugby as residents and staff marked St. David’s Day.

The home was in high spirits as they celebrated the national day of Wales with daffodil and leek table decorations, daffodil crafting and colouring and traditional Welsh dress, where activities coordinator Ruth, who is Welsh, brought her daughters in to meet and greet the residents.

The children also presented residents with coloured pictures of Welsh dragons and daffodils that had been created by pupils of Dunchurch Junior School.

One of our Residents, 100-year-old Barbara Jones, said she was immensely pleased to see the girls in traditional Welsh Costume.

Barbara, was born in Llandeilo and moved soon after to St Clears near Carmarthen.

Barbara’s father was a station master - an extremely important position in the community in the past - so the family moved several times until settling in Swansea.

Barbara’s mother was a teacher and Barbara followed in her mother’s footsteps, becoming a domestic science teacher.

Barbara served as an ARP in the war and married her husband Les, from the Gower, in 1947.

In honour of the traditional feast day and the country’s patron saint, residents and staff were treated to traditional Welsh food and drink.

Everyone enjoyed Welsh cakes, and lamb and leek cawl, with teisennau tatws (potato cakes).

In the afternoon residents watched virtual tours of Wales to include, St David's Cathedral, Snowdonia National Park and Railway, Bodnant Gardens, Llandudno and the Great Orme Tramway, and also Dyserth Waterfall.

General manager, Violeta Baesu said: “We love celebrating St David’s Day here at Overslade House. All the staff and residents were wearing daffodils and our head chef Joanne Kolat-Furca did a brilliant job of preparing a lovely spread so that we could really celebrate the day.”

Residents at Overslade House Care Home said: “It has been a lovely day. It was wonderful to see everyone go to so much effort to get involved with the day’s celebrations."