Blesma Homes

ELIZABETH FRANKLAND MOORE BLESMA HOME BLACKPOOL

539 LYTHAM ROAD, BLACKPOOL
LANCASHIRE, FY4 1RA

Tel: (44) 01253 343313

This Home is located on the southern edge of Blackpool and is only four hundred yards from the beach. We have been here since 1948 and we provide nursing and residential care for ex-service men and women and offer 24 hour cover of nursing and care supported by the local doctor and hospitals and of course by our own nursing and care staff.

We aim to make life for our residents one of dignity; privacy and one always dispensed with humanity. Our residents are encouraged to fully participate in decisions for their daily living and join our visits and trips out into the local areas. They are also encouraged to make use of the many and varied community resources available.

The accommodation facilities include all rooms being en-suite and include six double and one single room for visitors on respite care and nine single nursing beds. The home is staffed by fully qualified nurses. A dedicated Medical Officer is on call. All rooms have colour TV with two Satellite channels and a small bar operates for three hours each day.

NEWS FROM THE HOME
The early part of the year remains busy here at Blackpool. We continue to accept invitations to social events and enjoy welcoming visitors to the home. The ‘Widows Weeks’ were once again a great success. The AWOs in their extended role proved to new AWO (SW), John Francis, his varied job description. We missed the company of Mike Gallagher, now enjoying retirement, but extend a welcome to John, hopefully he will enjoy his future visits.
Sadly we said farewell too often in a very short time to some of our friends at the Blackpool Home earlier this year. Matt Davis, Tom Davies, Frank Owen and our great friend Charles Buddle, founder Member of the ‘BLESMA Boys’. All at Blackpool, and the many visitors to the home who knew them will sadly miss these men of great character.
As previously reported, Residents here at Blackpool are always keen and willing to don their blazers and medals to represent your Association. We were delighted to be invited to St. Anne’s Synagogue by members of AJEX to the ceremony of the Consecration of the New Standards. The hospitality we received was wonderful and the day enjoyed by all. Mrs Irene Smith, accompanied by Auxiliary Nurse, Julie Marr, attended the “at home” by kind invitation of the Mayor, Lily Henderson, a true friend and supporter of the home, and once again thoroughly enjoyed.
D Day brought celebrations along with memories for the Residents and Visitors of the home. A group of Residents were invited by the Mayor to take part in the parade following the service at the Cenotaph, and then to the Civic Luncheon held at the Winter Gardens. Once again, suitably dressed in blazers and medals, the coach for the parade and service was full.
The sun shone down throughout the service and along with other Veterans, our coach was greatly received by crowds throughout Blackpool. Following the lunch at the Winter Gardens the Territorial Army Band entertained us.
Meanwhile, the dining room back at the home had been suitably decorated for the occasion, a patriotic red, white and blue colour scheme and Union flags set the scene along with a traditional roast beef dinner and wine. A memorable day for all and celebrated with true BLESMA style.
The Blackpool Branch of the Burma Star Association has become firm friends of the Blackpool Home as they hold their monthly meetings and coffee mornings within the home. To show their appreciation they have presented a suite of garden furniture for the rear gardens.
Residents & Members of the Burma Star Association with the donated Garden Furniture
To assist the blooming of the gardens and to encourage the younger generation in gardening, Mr Tom Morris invited a group of young cub scouts to plant the summer bedding plants. The morning was a success and contributed to the boys’ community service badge. This event once again highlighted BLESMA’s presence in the community.
Helping the Community. Blackpool cubs assist the Residents with the spring planting
The summer fair this year was combined with Father’s Day and an ‘Open House’, which was held at the home. After a week of torrential rain, the sun finally appeared and the stalls set up outside. Many donations had been given for raffle prizes. Mrs Alice Vickers of the Peterborough Branch and a regular visitor to the home donated a quilted bed cover, which raised in excess of £150. The total amount raised on the day and donated to the Home Support Group was £650. A fabulous effort and my personal thanks to all staff members who helped make it happen. The Support Group continue, their good work and the luncheons continue, long may they do so.
Our Resident, George Gawley, decided that driving a motorised scooter wasn’t quite for him and would prefer something a little more exciting. So he decided to book himself a flying lesson. At short notice he took the controls of a CESSNA 172 light aircraft under careful supervision of Pilot, Paul Vernon. Fellow Resident, David Bland, and Auxiliary Nurse, Tony Rimmer, went along for the ride. Something very different and a day I’m sure they’ll all remember.
George Gawley (L) with David Bland, receives his flying certificate from Paul Vernon
As the summer months progress we continue with our programme of events. This year we are taking part in the Manchester Military Tattoo, and once again are off to a very special tea party at Buckingham Palace.
So the Residents are keeping busy, enjoying their Golden Years. We look forward to welcoming new Residents to the home. As we so often tell you all, it’s an open house, enjoy it.
Jacqui Longden, Home Manager


ANCASTER BLESMA HOME CRIEFF

ALLIGAN ROAD, CRIEFF
PERTHSHIRE, PH7 3JU

Tel: (44) 01764 652480

Crieff, a small town built on a south-facing slope of the Grampian foothills, is the ëcapitalí of Strathearn, the broad valley of the River Earn. This is one of Scotlandís most beautiful and unspoiled areas, situated as it is where the lush, rolling countryside of the Lowlands meets the grandeur of the Perthshire Highlands. The scenic highlights are many; the steep slopes which tower up from the floor of the Smaí Glen; the magnificent autumn foliage which surrounds peaceful Loch Monzievaird; the wooded crags around Comrie and the sunlit shores of Loch Earn, all exemplify the Scottish landscape at its best.

For the more active minded there are activities such as sailing, fishing, watersports, horse riding, flying and parachuting available which all offer disabled facilities. From Crieff and Strathearn located in the centre of Scotland, there is easy access to much of the country.

The Home offers nursing and residential permanent care as well as respite care with single rooms and twin bedded rooms, all with en-suite facilities and colour TV, as well as a full size snooker table in a well equipped games room.

An itinerary full of excursions and entertainmentís is available to those who choose to ensure you enjoy your holiday to the full. Electronic buggies and wheelchairs are available for that added independence. Weekly swimming trips are run to the Strathearn Recreation Centre, or you may just prefer to sit in our tranquil gardens and soak up the sun and the panoramic views.

Our aim is to ensure you enjoy your holiday to the full whether you choose to have a quiet restful break or a busy active fortnight.

NEWS FROM THE HOME
Halfway through the summer months and we are still hopeful the glorious weather will arrive full time further north of the English border. It is too unpredictable at the moment. Fortunately our trusted summer visitors do not rely on the sunshine to enjoy their time spent at the Home – (just as well this year!).
Despite the lack of sunshine the Home continues to bustle with interesting and fun packed activity. The Residents continued to enjoy a multitude of activities with the local schools visiting regularly to entertain them in the quieter months with a variety of songs from all eras. The Residents also enjoy excursions to various locations throughout Perthshire – ranging from visits to exquisite gardens, safari parks (lions were feeling rather amorous I hear), pub lunches and visits to garden centres to enjoy a cup of coffee and a leisurely stroll around the plants, to more entertaining times such as a visit to the Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline to watch a performance of the Good Ol’ Days.
Within the Home itself it is all go for the Residents as they work off their fish supper treat with Resident’s Assistant Margaret’s exercise regime and swimming – enjoyed by both Residents and Visitors. Margaret then goes on to exercise the brain with a quiz – no rest for the wicked!
Within the Home, the Nursing Wing has seen the benefit of a fresh coat of paint, finished off with a new carpet, as have all downstairs corridors. The external building has had some harling renewed. In some areas it was beginning to look rather worn – a costly ongoing programme, but certainly a necessity to ensure the Home maintains its high standard. We now have new furniture in the lounge, which was funded from proceeds of money raised by The Friends of BLESMA, Crieff. Our sincere thanks go to Sarah Chappell and all the Friends of Crieff for their continuing support for the Home. We certainly would be lost without their hard work and tremendous fundraising efforts throughout the year! A further addition to the lounge is new blinds and curtains, which have transformed it into a bright cheerful area.
An ongoing problem with the plumbing has hopefully been resolved with the re-routing of water pipes in some areas. Lets hope that has poured cold water on that problem.
I sadly report the death of Resident James Thain – James or Jim was only resident here for 7 months, but he thoroughly enjoyed his time here, calling the Home his "little piece of Heaven". A contingent of staff and Residents attended his large funeral in Edinburgh.
We had no sooner returned from Jim’s funeral, than we about turned – off to Paisley Royal British Legion. A coach load of Visitors and Residents were welcomed in to the club and lavished with kindness and such wonderful hospitality. A most generous cheque amounting to £2,500 was presented to Resident Charles Muir on behalf of the Home. An evening of entertainment as never before known or seen followed, with an excellent dance display from a troupe consisting of ladies from the Women’s Section, rounding off the evening. Staff Nurse Myra McGee joined in with abandon. Our heartfelt thanks go to all the members at the Paisley Royal British Legion Branch for all their assistance and for making us all feel so welcome from arrival to departure, and, of course, for their most generous donation to the Home.
Seven 10 year old pupils of St John’s Primary School in Perth had been watching the D day celebrations and decided to try to help by raising some money. They decided to do a sponsored swim. All 7 young lads swam for 2 hours and most managed to swim 100 lengths. They contacted me and invited someone from the Home down to the school to receive the cheque for the money raised. Resident Bill Dunbar, being from Perth, and who still enjoys a swim, seemed the ideal candidate to receive the cheque. So off we set, Bill and myself, over to the school where we had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon. Bill had a captive audience as he relayed some of his World War II stories. The total amount raised was £258.07. This was a fantastic effort on the boys’ part. I would like to say a special thank you to Brad Anderson, Andrew Crines, Michael Murphie, Jack Simmons, Drew Gardiner, Max Tabourel and Ross Mackenzie for a wonderful donation.
Our resident status returned to "full" when we welcomed 2 Gentlemen – James Buntin and Alastair Robertson. Jim was a Sub Lt in the Royal Navy and was a Member of the Advisory Board in years past. Jim was responsible for the donations that went towards the building of the Ina Briggs Wing, which was officially opened in 1998, by the Baroness Willoughby de Eresby DL. It is an honour to repay Jim now that he is Resident here – so well deserved. The other Resident mentioned, is Alastair Robertson who was an Armament Sgt Major and served in RAOC and REME. Welcome to you both.
Two Members from the Buckinghamshire Branch came for a flying visit at the start of the season; namely Ted Ferris and John Glanvill Smith. Their Branch made generous donations towards the Home, not only through the shopping list but also towards the new mini-bus and the nurse call system to name but a few. It was a pleasure to greet Ted and John albeit for only one night. I thank them and their Branch Members for their generosity and support over the years.
I mentioned the new mini-bus; yes, it finally arrived mid-April. It is a Renault Master, funded by generous donations from:
· The Gannochy Trust
· The Royal Highland Fusiliers Regimental Benevolent Association
· Mrs Dowsett
· The Crieff Rotary Club
· Chelmsford & N Essex Branch, BLESMA
· Northwood Charitable Trust
· RAF Kinloss
· The Ancaster Trust
· Buckinghamshire Branch, BLESMA
· The WJ and CG Dunnachie’s Charitable Trust.
The mini-bus is a vital cog in the Home’s wheel and we are certainly lost without it. It is in high demand throughout the year. Our thanks to all of those for their generosity.
Donations have been as ever, flowing in through the shopping list, with the following Branches donating generously to the Home: Cardiff, Leeds, Friends of BLESMA Leeds, South West Wales, Norwich, Coventry and East Berkshire. My apologies if I have missed any for this year.
Birthdays this season saw Resident, Scott Anderson, celebrating 82 years and Jack Barber celebrating his 80th in the company of his wife, Beryl, who came to visit in order to help mark the big day. She will be returning to ensure they spend their 60th Wedding Anniversary together in November.
Jack Barber celebrates his 80th birthday with his wife, Beryl
The Homes AGM took place in April followed by a retirement lunch for Robert Fryer, a long standing Advisory Board Member. Bob had been a Member of the Advisory Board for over 8 years and his support to the Home throughout that period was faultless. Thank you to Bob for your support.
A new Member of the Advisory Board is Major Adrian Boyd MBE. Adrian is an ex-Royal Engineer who has only recently retired.
The magazine, "My Weekly" to organise a day visit to the Home, contacted me. Reporter Wendy Glass was focussing on the Veterans and their carers in a variety of environments. The issue was published to coincide with the D Day celebrations. Wendy was able to highlight the plight of War Veterans who are permanent residents and cared for in a Home as well as those who still live in their own homes and have a wife or carer assisting them at Home when necessary. It was an eventful day with much laughter and tears but the final article is an emotional but factual insight into how individuals cope in differing situations.
Last year the Home received some generous donations from Branches and various fund raising events towards new washing machines and dryers. These much needed and appreciated items were housed in a space not big enough to swing a cat, never mind a stump sock. I put forward a project, which entailed building a new wheelchair storage area in the garage and constructing a laundry facility where the old wheelchair storage was housed. The total cost of this project was to be £15,000. With the support of Headquarters and the Advisory Board, John Drummond proceeded to approach the Scottish Branches for funding. The Chairman of the Scottish Area, Bob McLachlan was away on holiday at the time, so the then Scottish Area Secretary, Arthur Delworth MBE was contacted. He, who was always so keen to help the Home, endeavoured to gain the funds from the 5 Scottish Branches. He succeeded and our laundry or "The Steamie" as known in Scotland was born. Sadly Arthur passed away before he could see the finished result. It had been our intention to invite Arthur to open the laundry and so Arthur’s dear wife Ella agreed to open it instead. A rather emotional but overall exciting day ensued.
The Chairman of the Advisory Board, John Drummond, with Mrs Ella Delworth as she opened "The Steamie"
Our deepest thanks go to the Scottish Branches for their support. I mentioned the 5 Scottish Branches earlier; sadly this has reduced, with Glasgow and Edinburgh now closed. This leaves only 3 Branches in Scotland, namely, Fife, Dundee and Aberdeen. This, as we all know is a sad but inevitable fact of life for BLESMA. As the Members age, the numbers decline and the number of branches decrease accordingly.
The Chairman of the Advisory Board, Crieff, Mrs Ella Delworth, Sandra Beaumont and the General Secretary with Members of the Scottish Branches at the opening of "The Steamie"
The Fife Branch appears to be continuing strongly. Chairman of the Advisory Board, Brigadier John Drummond, his wife Sue and myself were invited to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Branch at Fife House in Glenrothes. The Provost presented Chairman Bob McLachlan with a plaque. Our thanks go to Bob for the invitation and we sincerely hope that there will be many more anniversary years for the Branch.
The BLESMA AGM was held at Swindon this year and turned out to be a most enjoyable weekend. Although it was apparent there were funding issues relating to the Homes, the overall consensus was that sources of income should be reviewed. And so, we are looking at ways in which we could generate a healthier income; as the General Secretary, Jerome Church stated, fees for Residents have increased to a more realistic figure, more in keeping with Local Authority rates, but still heavily subsidised by BLESMA, and this will indeed help. The General Secretary also suggested the possibility of increasing the number of Residents here at the Crieff Home. This also would help increase income. For my part, I am looking at utilising the Home’s facilities out with the season. Feedback or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Our Annual Summer Fayre took place on Father’s Day. Lady Jane Willoughby graciously assisted John Drummond with the presentation of the raffle prizes. Our thanks go to our Patron, Lady Jane for her continued support of the Home and my personal thanks to John Drummond for his eternal support, not only at the Summer Fayre, but also throughout the year. Thanks also go to the Friends of BLESMA and staff who came to help out; namely, Margaret Motherwell, chef Jackie, Peter, Celia, Marie, Derek, my offspring, Nicky, Mary, Ken, Morrisons’ pupils and Visitors, Mr and Mrs Norman and anyone else who helped to make the day such a success. Thanks also to Comrie Pipe band who made the afternoon go with a swing. Overall we raised the princely sum of £800, which will be used to purchase furniture/equipment for the Home.
And so the summer continues, sun or not we still look forward to seeing our Visitors arriving and indeed hope they look forward to their little bit of respite from their everyday chores!
Sandra Beaumont, Home Manager